The MICROSCOPE space mission: the first test of the equivalence principle in a space laboratory

Abstract

Abstract This paper introduces the current special issue focussed on the MICROSCOPE mission. This mission is the first experimental test in space of the weak equivalence principle (WEP) using man-made test-masses—as opposed to astronomical tests—with the goal to reach a precision two orders of magnitude better than ground-based experiments. Selected in 1999 by CNES as part of its MYRIADE microsatellite programme, the satellite was launched in 2016 and the mission lasted 2.5 years. This paper summarises the articles of the special issue and highlights the key technological and data analysis aspects that allowed for an unprecedented precision on the test of the WEP.