LARES succesfully launched in orbit: satellite and mission description

Understand

On February 13th 2012, the LARES satellite of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) was launched into orbit with the qualification flight of the new VEGA launcher of the European Space Agency (ESA).

• The payload was released very accurately in the nominal orbit.
• The name LARES means LAser RElativity Satellite and summarises the objective of the mission and some characteristics of the satellite.
• It is, in fact, a mission designed to test Einstein's General Relativity Theory (specifically 'frame dragging' and Lense-Thirring effect).