Moment of Inertia measurement M1
General Description
The purpose of the oscillating table is to measure the Moment of Inertia of a rigid body fixed on an interface table. The test on the M1 validates the prediction of the test object's Moment of Inertia, which is of major importance for the attitude control of the spacecraft.
The principle of the M1 machine is based on the measurement of the oscillation period of the test object about a vertical axis. For a small amplitude of oscillation the MoI is related to the oscillation period T by the following relation: MoI = K x T2, with K a constant depending on the stiffness of the M1 spring system.
Although, space hardware is the most common hardware to be tested, all kind of equipment, not only related to space activities, can be tested on the described mass properties facility.
Mechanical Interface
The mechanical interface with the test object is a circular horizontal steel table with:
- Diameter 160 mm
- 12 x M8 tapped holes on 2 concentric circles (100 mm and 125 mm PCD)
- Centering boss 25 mm H7