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The Frascati National Laboratories (LNF) are the oldest and largest research infrastructure of INFN, mainly devoted to the research in nuclear and particle physics, to the development of particle accelerators and frontier studies on new acceleration techniques. LNF is the place where the first electron-positron collisions were obtained in the early 60s. Presently LNF operates two accelerator complexes: DAFNE, an e+e- collider with center of mass energy set to the mass of the Φ meson, 1020 MeV. SPARC, a high intensity photoinjector capable of delivering electron beams up to 200 MeV, combined with a high power laser (FLAME), able to produce ultra short pulses, in the so called SPARC_LAB facility. The laboratory hosts also the NAUTILUS gravitational waves resonant bar detector, and thanks to the availability of several infrastructures, workshops, clean rooms etc.., it is also widely used as a facility for constructing large particle detectors used in other laboratories. The purpose of the present document is to address the question: is there a viable program on the development of internal activities which can allow the Laboratory to maximally exploit its capabilities and to maintain its role at the forefront of scientific research in the next decade? In particular, given the present Italian financial situation, is this possible by wisely upgrading the presently running infrastructures at moderate costs? On November 10-11, 2014 a workshop was held at LNF with the aim to discuss the above issues, with a broad participation of researchers from Italian and foreign institutions. A second workshop dedicated to the applications of the existing facilities to Materials Science was held on February 26-27, 2015. This document tries to summarize the main conclusions of these discussions.

We describe the INFN-LNF standard procedure for the optical Far Field Diffraction Pattern (FFDP) test of cube corner laser retroreflectors (CCRs) for space applications, when these CCRs are in air and in isothermal conditions around (22 ± 2)°C. This procedure was developed in 2007 and 2008, using prototype GLONASS CCRs lent to LNF by IPIE of Moscow and a GPS-2 flight model CCR array lent to LNF by the University of Maryland at College Park (all using Al-coated fused silica retroreflectors of 27 mm diameter). This was done in the context of the INFN experiment ETRUSCO2. The modeling of FFDP measurements is performed with a commercial software, CodeV by O.R.A. Inc., and it has been cross-checked against two independent software programs developed by other two members of the ILRS �??Signal Processing Working Group�?�, D. Arnold and T. Otsubo, finding very good agreement among the three. In summer 2008 this procedure has been validated by performing the FFDP test of the LAGEOS �??Sector�?�, an engineering prototype on loan from NASA-GSFC, equipped with 37 uncoated, fused silica retroreflectors of 38 mm diameter. We report test results for the GLONASS and LAGEOS CCRs. Details of the test procedure and CodeV simulations are given for the particular case of the LAGEOS Sector.

The "Satellite/lunar laser ranging Characterization Facility" (SCF) of INFN-LNF in Frascati, Italy, is devoted to the characterization of the detailed thermal properties and the optical performance of laser- ranged payloads (the "SCF-test") for GNSS, Space Geodesy and Fundamental Physics applications [1][2]. The Optical Lab is a second LNF facility dedicated to the far field diffraction pattern (FFDP) industrial acceptance test of laser cube corner retroreflectors (CCR) for space applications. We tested about 200 flight CCRs to be deployed in space by imminent launches at the two LNF facilities. These launches are for the current American Global Navigation Satellite System Constellation, the GPS-2 by NASA and for the European VEGA Program, by ESA/ASI. Some of the tested CCRs are for undisclosed missions by other space agencies. Deep Space Gravity Probe (DSGP) is a mission led by NASA-JPL (S. Turyshev is the PI), proposed to NASA and to the ESA "Cosmic Vision" program to study the anomalous deceleration of the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes and other important interplanetary science topics. In the context of a three-year study on "Cosmology and Fundamental Physics" (COFIS) funded by ASI and led at national level by P. de Bernardis we designed a prototype laser-ranged test mass for the DSGP satellite formation. This mass is being built at LNF and will be SCF-Tested at the SCF. We are also collaborating with NASA-GSFC (J. McGarry et al) on the test of innovative CCRs for the GPS-3. The goal of this R&D is to convince the US Air Force and Department of Defense of the full functionality of the hollow retroreflector design. This is a prerequisite to propose the deployment of retroreflectors on the GPS-3, which, unlike GALILEO, is a military constellation.

Il Consigio di Amministrazione dell'ASI, nella sua seduta del 7/2/2008, ha individuato le cinque proposte, nell'ambito del Bando Piccole Missioni, di cui verrà finanziato lo studio di Fase A, ovvero lo studio di fattibilità preliminare alla scelta delle due missioni che verranno lanciate entro il 2014. Una di queste cinque missioni è MAGIA (Missione Altimetrica Gravimetrica geochimica Italiana lunAre), di cui il Principal Investigator è la Prof. A. Coradini (INAF-IFSI) e il Prime Industriale è Rheinmetall Italia S.p.A. La missione si propone di rispondere ad alcune delle questioni di maggiore importanza per lo studio della Luna quali la struttura interna, elemento necessario per comprendere l'origine e la formazione, la ricerca di evidenze di processi di differenziazione che devono aver caratterizzato la parte iniziale della formazione e la correlazione con la successiva fase dominata dalla craterizzazione della superficie. Al momento, i dati geochimici e mineralogici da telerilevamento lunare, utili per raccordare le analisi dei campioni di rocce prelevate in-situ ad aree del satellite più vaste, sono disponibili solo per la "near side". Inoltre anche le missioni più recenti (Clementine, SMART-1, Lunar Prospector) non avevano a bordo strumenti in grado di effettuare un'analisi mineralogica accurata. MAGIA si propone inoltre una precisa caratterizzazione del campo gravitazionale lunare, ed ad un'accurata misura del suo stato rotazionale. Questi temi sono tutti strettamente legati tra loro concorrendo, infatti, a migliorare la comprensione dell'origine ed evoluzione della Luna. Inoltre, MAGIA mostrerà come si possa utilizzare una piattaforma in orbita circumlunare al fine di ottenere misure di fisica fondamentale, quali un miglioramento delle misura del redshift gravitazionale, una "precursor mission" per la proposta di Lunar Laser Ranging di seconda generazione, MoonLIGHT, ed un potenziale ulteriore miglioramento dei test delle Relatività Generale grazie ad una misura indipendente della posizione del selenocentro rispetto a Terra. Questo Report descrive il pacchetto di Fisica Fondamentale della proposta MAGIA.

We describe the basic goals of the ETRUSCO experiment and the work done in 2006, together with our international collaborators, which led to the approval of the proposal by the INFN-CSNV in October 2006.Some of the 2007 funds were made available in November 2006 and were used to buy optical instrumentation. In 2007 the LNF Satellite laser ranging Characterization Facility (SCF) has been upgraded to perform integrated laser ranging tests and thermal measurements (SCF-Test) of the planar retro-reflector arrays installed on the satellites of GNSS constellations. This will be done in a realistic environment, which simulates the orbital conditions of the GPS-2 (USA), GLONASS (Russia), and soon GALILEO (EU), at altitudes of about 20000-23000 Km. The year 2007 has been devoted to the SCF-Test of a prototype model of a retro-reflector deployed on the two of GPS-2 satellites, on the GLONASS constellation and on GIOVE-A and GIOVE-B, the prototypes of GALILEO. This SCF-Test has been successful and data analysis is well underway. The experimental work at the SCF will also be compared to software models of the thermal, structural, orbital and optical behavior of the prototypes. Detailed thermal models of the LAGEOS-type retro-reflectors have already been built and checked with SCF measurements. Work is in progress to develop these models also for the GNSS.The year 2008 is dedicated to the SCF-Test of a flight model of a retro-reflector array to be deployed on one of the next GPS-2 satellites.The long-term goal of ETRUSCO is to perform at LNF the SCF-Test the larger and more important GALILEO laser retro-reflector arrays. Planning and provisions to reach this goal are well underway: in fact, INFN-LNF is participating to a call for tender for the 'Support to the Coordination of the European GALILEO Simulation and Testing Infrastructure', issued by the Galileo Supervisory Authority, in the context of FP7-GALILEO. The result of the tender is due by October 2008.

New robotic lunar landings may take place during next decade. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) has requested proposals for interesting and compelling physics experiments to be performed with the severe weight, size, power and deployment restrictions inherent to lunar sorties. MoonLIGHT-R is a proposal for improving by a factor 1000 or more the accuracy of the current Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment, performed since 1969 with retro-reflector arrays deployed by Apollo 11, 14 and 15. LLR is the only Apollo experiment still taking data today. Achieving this goal requires a new, different thermal, optical and mechanical design of the retro-reflector array and detailed simulations and experimental tests. MoonLIGHT-R is a light, compact, very-long lasting, maintenance-free and completely passive payload. MoonLIGHT-R will perform accurate tests of General Relativity (GR) already with the existing ILRS systems (like ASI-MLRO) . This accuracy will get better and better as laser technologies improve over the next few decades, like they did relentlessly since the invention of the laser in the '60s. A specific cosmological model, which explains the acceleration of the Universe via modified GR at very large distances, can be fully tested by measuring an anomalous precession of the Moon perigee. A high scientific return is guaranteed. We are committed to the space-climatic and laser-optical simulation (and, at a later stage, experimental characterization) of the new LLR array using the LNF Space Climatic Facility (SCF). The payload construction and deployment is an opportunity for the national industries. Preliminary space-climatic simulations and payload specs are presented in this LNF report.

New manned lunar landings may take place during next decade. In view of this possibility, space agencies around the word have requested to the international scientific community proposals for interesting and compelling physics experiments to be performed with the severe weight, size, power and deployment restrictions inherent to the first lunar sorties. Answering the recent NASA call "Suitcase Science to the Moon", a group formed by INFN-LNF, Astronaut Roberto Vittori of the Italian Air Force and several US research institutions has presented a proposal for improving by a factor 1000 or more the accuracy of the current Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment (performed in the last 37 years using the retro-reflector arrays deployed on the Moon by the Apollo 11, 14 and 15 missions). Achieving such an improvement requires a modified thermal, optical and mechanical design of the retro-reflector array and detailed experimental tests. The new experiment will allow a rich program of accurate tests of General Relativity already with current laser ranging systems. This accuracy will get better and better as the performance of laser technologies improve over the next few decades, like they did relentlessly since the '60s. The LNF group has committed itself to perform the full climatic simulation and experimental characterization of the new retro-reflector prototypes using the new INFN-LNF "Space Climatic Facility"(SCF). Preliminary simulations are reported in this document. The space-climatic, laser-optical studies and tests will be done by members of this ITALY-US collaboration, because they are deeply linked to the proposed physics measurements. For the mechanics support structures and the "suitcase" there is window of work opportunity for industries. This internal LNF report (pages 2-21) is an excerpt from the Proposal presented to NASA on October 27 2006 by the authors listed at page 2. MoonLIGHT-M is the internal LNF name given to this Proposal (where "-M" indicates that this is intended for a Manned mission)

La Camera Spaziale Climatica (CSC) dei LNF è un progetto integrato di fisica fondamentale e di trasferimento tecnologico alle attività civili ed industriali. Nella CSC, infatti, si misurano le caratteristiche termiche ed ottiche delle componenti dei satelliti LAGEOS I e II (già operativi) e la loro evoluzione LARES (da realizzare ai LNF). Lo scopo è quello di migliorare l�??accuratezza della misura del trascinamento dello spazio-tempo in Relatività Generale (effetto Lense-Thirring) e delle applicazioni tecnologiche di Geodesia Spaziale, grazie al nuovo satellite LARES ed alla CSC. La traiettoria orbitale viene determinata con la tecnica dell�??inseguimento via laser dei satelliti da Terra (�??Satellite Laser Ranging�?�, SLR). L�??applicazione tecnologica più importante è il contributo fondamentale alla definizione del sistema internazionale di riferimento e di posizione terrestre (ITRF, Intern. Terrestrial Reference Frame), emesso dallo IERS (Intern. Earth rotation and Reference systems Service). Esso è lo standard per tutte le attività civili, industriali e scientifiche, a Terra e nello spazio, che necessitano di un sistema di riferimento assoluto. Le misure effettuate nella CSC saranno, inoltre, estremamente utili all�??integrazione tra GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) ed SLR, che avrà compimento sulle future costellazioni GALILEO (Europa, ≥ 2008) e GPS-3 (USA, ≥ 2011). SLR fornisce il sistema di riferimento assoluto ed il GNSS permette la navigazione in tempo reale rispetto ad esso: il meglio delle due tecnologie, dallo spazio per la Terra.