Baptiste Battelier, Johannes Burkhardt, Claus Braxmaier, E. Rocco, Didier Massonnet, Thijs Wendrich, Eric Wille, Fiodor Sorrentino, Thomas Leveque, A. Heske, Naceur Gaaloul, Matthias O. Franz, Alexander Milke, André Kubelka-Lange, Markus Oswald, Arnaud Landragin, Ulrich Johann, Jonas Hartwig, Ortwin Hellmig, C. Trenkel, Achim Peters, Norman Gürlebeck, Domenico Gerardi, Andrew Hinton, Andrea Bertoldi, Katerine Posso-Trujillo, M. Chwalla, Martin Gehler, M. Hauth, Jan Rudolph, Philippe Bouyer, Ahmad Bawamia, Markus Krutzik, Sven Herrmann, P. Ireland, Kai Bongs, Ernst M. Rasel, Holger Ahlers, Andreas Wicht, Luigi Cacciapuoti, André Wenzlawski, Thilo Schuldt, Patrick Windpassinger, Carlos F. Sopuerta, Waldemar Herr, Stephan Seidel, Guglielmo M. Tino, D. Summers, Ignacio Mateos, Christian Schubert, Mike Williams, Wolf von Klitzing, Benny Rievers, C. P. Chaloner, Klaus Sengstock, Wolfgang Ertmer, Lluis Gesa Bote, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Leibniz Universität Hannover [Hannover] (LUH), Institut für Quantenoptik [Hannover] (IQ), Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM), Universität Bremen, MUARC, University of Birmingham [Birmingham], Department of Mathematics, University of Western Ontario (UWO), Institut fur Physik, Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Laboratoire Photonique, Numérique et Nanosciences (LP2N), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut d'Optique Graduate School (IOGS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Systèmes de Référence Temps Espace (SYRTE), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Hamburg, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (FORTH-IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Institute of Space Sciences [Barcelona] (ICE-CSIC), Spanish National Research Council [Madrid] (CSIC), INFN Sezione di Firenze, Astrium Ltd, Airbus Defence and Space Germany, Agence Spatiale Européenne (ESA), European Space Agency (ESA), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Leibniz Universität Hannover=Leibniz University Hannover, Humboldt University Of Berlin, and Agence Spatiale Européenne = European Space Agency (ESA)
Atom interferometers have a multitude of proposed applications in space including precise measurements of the Earth's gravitational field, in navigation & ranging, and in fundamental physics such as tests of the weak equivalence principle (WEP) and gravitational wave detection. While atom interferometers are realized routinely in ground-based laboratories, current efforts aim at the development of a space compatible design optimized with respect to dimensions, weight, power consumption, mechanical robustness and radiation hardness. In this paper, we present a design of a high-sensitivity differential dual species $^{85}$Rb/$^{87}$Rb atom interferometer for space, including physics package, laser system, electronics and software. The physics package comprises the atom source consisting of dispensers and a 2D magneto-optical trap (MOT), the science chamber with a 3D-MOT, a magnetic trap based on an atom chip and an optical dipole trap (ODT) used for Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) creation and interferometry, the detection unit, the vacuum system for $10^{-11}$ mbar ultra-high vacuum generation, and the high-suppression factor magnetic shielding as well as the thermal control system. The laser system is based on a hybrid approach using fiber-based telecom components and high-power laser diode technology and includes all laser sources for 2D-MOT, 3D-MOT, ODT, interferometry and detection. Manipulation and switching of the laser beams is carried out on an optical bench using Zerodur bonding technology. The instrument consists of 9 units with an overall mass of 221 kg, an average power consumption of 608 W (819 W peak), and a volume of 470 liters which would well fit on a satellite to be launched with a Soyuz rocket, as system studies have shown., 30 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy