MASS MEASURING APPARATUS OPERATING UNDER ZERO GRAVITY ENVIRONMENTS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To measure a mass under zero gravity environments by functioning force to cause a vessel holding an object to be measured and a reference weight to come farther from or closer to each other in a linear direction and measuring moving speed. SOLUTION: An object 1 to be measured is held inside a vessel 2 via an attenuation damper 10 in a housing 11. The vessel 2 is coupled via a linear guide with a reference weight 3. The linear guide comprises a cylinder 8a and a piston 8b. A drive means such as a coil spring 5 for functioning force to cause the vessel 2 and the reference weight 3 to come farther away or closer to each other in a linear direction A is provided. For example, elastic force of the coil spring 5 causes the vessel 2 and the weight 3 to come farther. Respective moving speed of the vessel 2 and the weight 3 at this time is measured highly accurately by illuminating a laser beam 7 from a light wave interferometer 6 or the like to the vessel 2 and the weight 3 respectively.