Study of Spacecraft Orbits in the Gravity Field of the Moon

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Study of Spacecraft Orbits in the Gravity Field of the Moon STUDY OF SPACECRAFT ORBITS IN THE GRAVITY FIELD OF THE MOON -PROJECT REPORT - by EDGAR CARDOSO VILANA A dissertation submitted to the Department of Aerospace Engineering, ETSEIAT – Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya , in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Aeornautical Engineer Tutor: Dr. Elena Fantino January 2012 ESCOLA TÈCNICA SUPERIOR D ’E NGINYERIES INDUSTRIAL I AERONÀUTICA DE TERRASSA ENGINYERIA SUPERIOR AERONÀUTICA STUDY OF SPACECRAFT ORBITS IN THE GRAVITY FIELD OF THE MOON This page is intentionally left blank. 1 E.C ARDOSO ABSTRACT The objective of the present study is to analyze the evolution of low lunar orbits under the gravitational potential of the Moon and additional perturbations of gravitational (Earth and Sun gravity) and non-gravitational (radiation pressure) nature. Such evolution can be used to estimate the amount of propellant required to maintain a certain orbit during a given time or, alternatively as in the present case, to identify orbits which may offer a wide surface coverage if no orbit correction maneuvers are applied. The lunar gravitational potential and its first-order gradient, the acceleration, are given through spherical harmonics expansions. The traditional representation based on Associated Legendre Functions (ALFs) of the first kind has been abandoned due to the inherent singularity at the poles, where interesting orbits pass. The chosen approach is based on the functions introduced by Pines [24] and consists in representing the gravitational potential and its gradients in Cartesian coordinates. Thanks to this, the singularity is overcome and the various functionals of the gravity field can be computed all over the sphere without loss of precision. The implementation of the so-called lumped coefficients in the treatment of the series expansions allows considerable memory and computing time savings over the traditional representation. Perturbations other than the lunar mass distribution are considered when their average magnitude is an appreciable fraction of the gravitational acceleration: this includes third body and radiation pressure effects. They have been modeled by assuming that the Sun, the Earth and the Moon stay in a common plane and are aligned at the beginning of the simulations. Several orbits of interest in a general context of remote sensing have been identified and simulated over significant time intervals: some of them, such as the so-called frozen orbits or the repeat ground track orbits, are well known for their stability; other types, such as the general class of polar orbits, are characterized by rapid evolution. The former offer the possibility of continuously observing the same surface area, thanks to the fact that the perturbations are 1:1 resonant with the orbit (same period). Polar orbits, instead, could be the choice for global mapping of the lunar surface or in the context of lunar observation or reconnaissance. The evolution of the orbits has been computed by numerical integration of the equations of motion of the spacecraft, accounting for the lunar gravitational acceleration (with the LP100K spherical harmonic model complete to degree and order 100) and the additional, relevant perturbing accelerations, by means of a Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg 7(8) scheme with variable step size. 2 STUDY OF SPACECRAFT ORBITS IN THE GRAVITY FIELD OF THE MOON We have simulated the evolution of many orbits, we have observed how the perturbations modify them and we have related such modifications to a suitable type of lunar mission, one that could take advantage of the natural evolution of the orbit for its scientific or technical objectives. Keywords: Moon, Gravity field, Spherical Harmonics, Orbital perturbations, Frozen Orbits 3 E.C ARDOSO ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Con este apartado me gustaría expresar mi más sincero agradecimiento a todas esas personas que han contribuido directa o indirectamente a la realización de este proyecto final de carrera. En primer lugar debo mencionar a mi tutora, Dra. Elena Fantino. Sin su ayuda el presente trabajo no hubiese sido posible. Su apoyo y sus enseñanzas han sido vitales. También me ha demostrado que es una docente muy cualificada y de gran profesionalidad, y no sólo eso, sino que además he podido comprobar que es una persona admirable cuya dedicación por los alumnos es totalmente encomiable. Gracias por transmitirme dichos valores y guiarme durante estos últimos meses en la elaboración de este estudio. Y como el presente trabajo representa la culminación a cinco años y medio de carrera, tampoco quiero dejar en el olvido a todos los compañeros de clase que me han apoyado, aguantado y animado durante esta etapa de mi vida en la universidad. Asimismo también mencionar a todos los docentes que durante estos años me han brindado sus conocimientos, los cuales espero que se vean reflejados de forma pertinente a lo largo de este documento. Por último tampoco puedo olvidarme de la familia ni de esas personas que durante más o menos tiempo han estado a mi lado y que me han apoyado en los momentos difíciles y que han celebrado conmigo los éxitos y los momentos de alegría. Gracias a todos. 4 STUDY OF SPACECRAFT ORBITS IN THE GRAVITY FIELD OF THE MOON TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... 7 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................ 9 LIST OF SYMBOLS ...................................................................................................................... 10 OPERATORS................................................................................................................................. 11 SUBSCRIPTS ................................................................................................................................. 12 ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................ 14 CHAPTER TWO. PROJECT SCOPE ............................................................................................ 20 CHAPTER THREE. LUNAR GRAVITATION MODEL .................................................................. 21 3.1 GRAVITATIONAL FIELD AND POTENTIAL THEORY .......................................................... 21 3.2 SPHERICAL HARMONICS ................................................................................................ 23 3.3 THE GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL IN SH S ........................................................................ 24 3.4 THE GRAVITATIONAL ACCELERATION ............................................................................ 25 3.5 PINES’ REPRESENTATION ............................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER FOUR. PERTURBATIONS ...................................................................................... 30 4.1 THIRD-BODY ................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.1 Earth-induced acceleration........................................................................................ 32 4.1.2 Sun-induced acceleration .......................................................................................... 33 4.2 SOLAR RADIATION PRESSURE ........................................................................................ 33 4.2.1 Eclipse conditions ...................................................................................................... 35 4.3 LUNAR ALBEDO .............................................................................................................. 36 4.4 LUNAR THERMAL RADIATION PRESSURE ....................................................................... 38 4.5 PERTURBATIONS AS A FUNCTION OF. ALTITUDE ........................................................... 39 CHAPTER FIVE. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CODE ....................................................................... 41 5.1 INPUT PARAMETERS ...................................................................................................... 41 5.1.1 Perturbation parameters ........................................................................................... 41 5.1.2 Initial position of the satellite .................................................................................... 42 5.1.3 Parameters related to integration ............................................................................. 44 5.1.4 Parameters related to celestial bodies ...................................................................... 45 5 E.C ARDOSO 5.1.5 Other parameters ...................................................................................................... 45 5.2 OUTPUT PARAMETERS ................................................................................................... 46 5.3 CODE PERFORMANCE ...................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Sservi Annual Report
    SSERVI ANNUAL REPORT YEAR TWO Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................3 SSERVI Central Report ....................................................................................................................................6 Volatiles Regolith & Thermal Investigations Consortium for Exploration and Science (VORTICES) .........17 SSERVI Evolution and Environment of Exploration Destinations (SEEED) ................................................25 Center for Lunar Science and Exploration (CLSE) ........................................................................................36 Institute for Modeling Plasma, Atmospheres and Cosmic Dust (IMPACT) ...................................................45 Remote, In Situ, and Synchrotron Studies for Science and Exploration (RIS4E) ...........................................54 Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration (FINESSE) .......................................62 Dynamic Response of Environments at Asteroids, the Moon, and Moons of Mars (DREAM2) ...................70 Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science (CLASS) ..............................................................................86 Institute for the Science of Exploration Targets (ISET) ................................................................................102 International Partners ....................................................................................................................................110
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Lunar Science Drivers for Lunar Mission One*
    Preliminary Lunar Science Drivers for Lunar Mission One* (*Contributors are listed at the end of the document) 1. Introduction This document describes the top-level science drivers for Lunar Mission One (as envisaged in December 2014). It should be viewed as a ‘living document’ that will be revised in the light of further studies to be conducted after the Kickstarter funding phase. The science goals will be prioritized, and instruments selected, as the mission becomes better defined. 2. Landing site and science planning assumptions It is assumed that a south polar site will be selected in an area of long-duration sunlight - a few hundred days with eclipse durations of less than 50-70 hours. The specific landing locality will be defined after a full study of potential landing sites based on work already performed for previous mission studies (e.g. ESA’s proposed Lunar Lander [1]). All the proposed landing sites (e.g. Shackleton crater and Mons Malapert) lie on, or just within, the rim of the giant South Pole-Aitken (SPA) impact basin [2]. Scientifically, these south polar locations are of interest because the local regoliths may contain fragments of SPA impact melt (which could in principle be used to date the basin, a key event in lunar geological history), and fragments of lower crustal and/or mantle materials excavated by the basin. In addition, the detection and characterization of volatiles that may be retained in these cold polar regoliths is of both scientific, and possibly (in the longer term) practical, interest. To a first approximation, the near-surface environment of potential polar landing sites are likely to be similar, with several metres of unconsolidated regolith, probably containing blocks of more competent materials, overlying more compacted highland ‘mega-regolith’.
    [Show full text]
  • Astrobotic: Commercial Service for Lunar Resource Payload Delivery
    Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (2015) 2066.pdf ASTROBOTIC: COMMERCIAL SERVICE FOR LUNAR RESOURCE PAYLOAD DELIVERY. J. Thornton1, S. Huber2, K. Peterson3, D. Hendrickson4, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Astrobotic Technology, Inc. (2515 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222). ing resource instruments on mul- Introduction: This paper describes how Astrobot- ti-customer missions to the Moon, ic’s commercial lunar delivery service is enabling ac- resource development investiga- cess to the Moon for activities such as lunar resource tions can be launched and iterated development payloads. Topics addressed here include at multiple sites on the lunar sur- current impediments to lunar resource development, face. Small instruments can be commercial approaches to delivering resource devel- sent to numerous destinations, on opment payloads to the Moon, and traction already many small rovers. This ap- seen with the commercial market for payload delivery. proach allows resource payloads Impediments to Lunar Resource Development: Figure 1: Astro- to fly without complicated and The prospect of utilizing lunar resources for future botic’s lunar tenuous bilateral space agency space exploration is promising, and could reduce the payload delivery partnerships. Multi-user commer- cost of missions beyond Earth orbit by a factor of four. model is an end- cial missions can also provide [1] Realizing these savings however, requires first the to-end commer- important precursor feasibility determination of lunar resource availability, and the cial delivery ser- assessments of resource develop- demonstration of resource extraction, refinement, and vice ideal for ment without a major financial utilization. The prior high-cost of robotic missions to lunar resource- commitment by one or more the Moon has placed an extraordinary barrier to these focused pay- space agencies.
    [Show full text]
  • A Profile of Humanity: the Cultural Signature of Earth's Inhabitants
    International Journal of A profile of humanity: the cultural signature of Astrobiology Earth’s inhabitants beyond the atmosphere cambridge.org/ija Paul E. Quast Beyond the Earth foundation, Edinburgh, UK Research Article Abstract Cite this article: Quast PE (2018). A profile of The eclectic range of artefacts and ‘messages’ we dispatch into the vast expanse of space may humanity: the cultural signature of Earth’s become one of the most enduring remnants of our present civilization, but how does his pro- inhabitants beyond the atmosphere. tracted legacy adequately document the plurality of societal values and common, cultural heri- International Journal of Astrobiology 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1473550418000290 tage on our heterogeneous world? For decades now, this rendition of the egalitarian principle has been explored by the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence community in order to draft Received: 18 April 2018 theoretical responses to ‘who speaks for Earth?’ for hypothetical extra-terrestrial communica- Revised: 13 June 2018 tion strategies. However, besides the moral, ethical and democratic advancements made by Accepted: 21 June 2018 this particular enterprise, there remains little practical exemplars of implementing this gar- Key words: nered knowledge into other experimental elements that could function as mutual emissaries Active SETI; data storage; deep time messages; of Earth; physical artefacts that could provide accessible details about our present world for eternal memory archives; future archaeology; future archaeological observations by our space-faring progeny, potential visiting extrasolar long-term communication strategies; SETI; time capsules denizens or even for posterity. While some initiatives have been founded to investigate this enduring dilemma of humanity over the last half-century, there are very few comparative stud- Author for correspondence: ies in regards to how these objects, time capsules and transmission events collectively dissem- Paul E.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Private Spaceflight Companies - Wikipedia
    6/18/2020 List of private spaceflight companies - Wikipedia List of private spaceflight companies This page is a list of non-governmental (privately owned) entities that currently offer—or are planning to offer—equipment and services geared towards spaceflight, both robotic and human. List of abbreviations used in this article Contents Commercial astronauts LEO: Low Earth orbit GTO: Geostationary transfer Manufacturers of space vehicles orbit Cargo transport vehicles VTOL: Vertical take-off and Crew transport vehicles landing Orbital SSTO: Single-stage-to-orbit Suborbital TSTO: Two-stage-to-orbit Launch vehicle manufacturers SSTSO: Single-stage-to-sub- Landers, rovers and orbiters orbit Research craft and tech demonstrators Propulsion manufacturers Satellite launchers Space-based economy Space manufacturing Space mining Space stations Space settlement Spacecraft component developers and manufacturers Spaceliner companies See also References External links Commercial astronauts Association of Spaceflight Professionals[1][2] — Astronaut training, applied research and development, payload testing and integration, mission planning and operations support (Christopher Altman, Soyeon Yi)[1][3] Manufacturers of space vehicles Cargo transport vehicles Dry Launch Return Company Launch Length Payload Diameter Generated Automated Spacecraft mass mass Payload (kg) payload S name system (m) volume (m3) (m) power (W) docking (kg) (kg) (kg) 10.0 (pressurized), 3,310 plus 14 2,500 Falcon 9 pressurized or (unpressurized), Dragon 6.1 4,200[4] 10,200 capsule
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Space Magazine Published Monthly by Space Media Corporation and the Aerospace Research & Engineering Systems Institute, Inc
    Florida Space magazine Published monthly by Space Media Corporation and the Aerospace Research & Engineering Systems Institute, inc. Space Station Gets New Solar Arrays SpaceX targets 2009 Falcon 9 debut NASA Prepares For Ares I-X Launch Space Florida lost in space? Hello? Is there anybody in here? The History of Shuttle-C US $4.50 Per Issue 00 00000 0000 V1.5 May 2009 Space shuttle Discovery lifts off on mission STS-119. Credit: NASA Advertise In this Space [email protected] Advertise In this Space [email protected] 2 Florida Space Magazine ~ www.floridaspacemagazine.com Florida Space Magazine Florida Space Volume 1, Issue 5 ~ May 2009 Magazine May 2009 http://www.floridaspacemagazine.com Publisher In This Month’s Issue ARES Institute, Inc. http://www.aresinstitute.org STS-119 Delivers Station Solar Arrays Production 7 Space Media Corporation http://www.spacemediacorp.com Atlas Launches WGS-2 Military Satellite 8 Editor-In-Chief Matthew Travis [email protected] 9 Orion Water Testing Makes A Splash Copy Editor Tracy Garland 10 SpaceX Targets Launch By Year’s End [email protected] Staff Writers NASA Prepares For Ares I-X Test Flight 11 Matthew Travis [email protected] News Industry Loses Space Veterans Vallen McMillian 11 [email protected] 12 Space Florida: Lost In Space? Graphic Design / Web Space Media Corporation http://www.spacemediacorp.com 13 A Look At The History Of Shuttle-C Advertising Douglas Peets 4 Message from the Publisher [email protected] 5 News Briefs 16 Event Calendar 18 Photo Gallery Media Contact 21 Industry Directory [email protected] 24 Launch Manifest Florida Space Magazine is published Photos courtesy NASA except where noted monthly by Space Media Corporation on behalf of the Aerospace Research & Engineering Systems Insitute, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • 62 Lunar Mission
    Lunar Mission One: Paving the Way for Human Habitability on the Moon D. Cooper Lunar Mission One: UK Chapter, United Kingdom Summary A human base on the Lunar South Pole would offer unique opportunities for scientific research that are not available on the Earth or in Low-Earth orbit. Difficulties faced by potential human inhabitants include the loss of H2O (water ice) as H2 is created due to the regoliths exposure to cosmic rays. Lunar Mission One proposes to send a robotic lunar lander to obtain essential knowledge required for the preparation of human habitation on the Moon. 1. Introduction Lunar Mission One (LM1) is a proposed robotic lander mission to the Moon, funded by public subscriptions to a buried archive of Life on Earth with an anticipated launch date within the next ten years. Stage 1 was successfully funded by international public backers through a capital funding campaign using the crowdfunding platform ‘Kickstarter’. LM1’s proposed mission objectives are aligned to the Global Exploration Roadmap [1] and can provide scientific data essential for implementation of a ‘Moon Village’, as envisioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) [2]. The ESA Director General has stated that ‘The Moon Village is open to any and all interested parties and nations’ [3] and LM1 reflects this open inclusivity as a truly international project, welcoming contributions from scientific engineers, scientists of different fields and volunteers of all backgrounds. 2. Mission objectives to provide essential knowledge for human habitability The Lunar South Pole is a primary candidate as the site for a human lunar base [4, 5] due to the power harnessing advantage of virtually constant exposure to solar radiation.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of a Hybrid Propulsion Lunar Sample Return Mission
    Analysis of a Hybrid Propulsion Lunar Sample Return Mission A thesis accepted by the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering and Geodesy of the University of Stuttgart in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Engineering Sciences (Dr.-Ing.) by Dipl.-Ing. Christian Schmierer born in Heilbronn Committee Chair: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schlechtriem Committee Members: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oskar Haidn Prof. Dr. ir. Johan Steelant Date of Defence: 11.03.2019 Insitute of Space Systems University of Stuttgart 2019 Acknowledgment The foundation for the research and work for this dissertation has been established at the DLR Institute of Space Propulsion in Lampoldshausen, the ESA ESTEC facilities and the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart. I thank Prof. Dr. Stefan Schlechtriem for his professional, helpful and kind supervision and his great interest to advance the hybrid propulsion technology. The evaluation of this work by Prof. Dr. Oskar Haidn is highly appreciated. The work was vastly supported by colleagues of the department of rocket propulsion at the DLR and therefore I thank Prof. Dr. Michael Oschwald for his guidance and the system analysis team for their constant support. A great amount of work was also supported by the department of propellants of Dr. Helmut Ciezki and especially by the M11 test bench team and the hybrid propulsion team under the guidance of Dr. Mario Kobald. The help of many students is also highly appreciated, who did studies with the software or prepared and conducted the tests at M11. A special thanks to Prof. ir. Johan Steelant and his team who gave me the opportunity to work at the ESA ESTEC facilities and supported me with their knowledge and experience in a great manner.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case for Space 2015 the Impact of Space on the UK Economy
    FINAL REPORT The Case for Space 2015 The impact of space on the UK economy CASE STUDIES A study for the Satellite Applications Catapult, Innovate UK, UKspace and the UK Space Agency July 2015 About London Economics London Economics (LE) is a leading independent economic consultancy, headquartered in London, with a dedicated team of professional economists specialised in the application of best practice economic and financial analysis to the space sector. As a firm, our reputation for independent analysis and client‐driven, world‐class and academically robust economic research has been built up over 25 years. Drawing on our solid understanding of the economics of space, expertise in economic analysis and best practice industry knowledge, our space team has extensive experience of providing independent analysis and innovative solutions to advise clients in the public, private and third sectors on the economic fundamentals, commercial potential of existing, developing and speculative market opportunities to reduce uncertainty and guide decision‐makers in this most challenging of operating environments. All consultants of our space team are highly‐qualified economists with extensive experience in applying a wide variety of analytical techniques to the space sector, including: Insightful and accurate market analysis and demand forecasting; Analysis of industrial structure, strategy and competitive forces; New technology adoption modelling; Estimation of public utility benefits; Opportunity prioritisation and targeting to maximise exploitation of investment; Sophisticated statistical analysis (econometrics, regression); Economic and financial modelling, including: Cost‐Benefit Analysis (CBA), cost effectiveness analysis, Value for Money (VfM), impact assessment, policy evaluation, business case development, cash flow and sustainability modelling. Head Office: Somerset House, New Wing, Strand, London WC2R 1LA, United Kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • Luna Hathor International Deep Drilling Lunar Mission Study
    Luna Hathor International Deep Drilling Lunar Mission Study Final Report International Space University MSS 2016 © International Space University. All Rights Reserved. International Space University i MSS 2016 The MSS 2016 Team Project work was conducted at the International Space University (ISU) Strasbourg Central Campus in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France. The front and back cover artwork is produced by Sema Husseyin using images the courtesy of: European Space Agency, Astrobotic, and Smithsonian Magazine While all care has been taken in the preparation of this report, it should not be relied on, and ISU does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of its content. The Executive Summary and the Final Report may be found on the ISU library’s web site at http://isulibrary.isunet.edu in the Team Projects section. Paper copies of the Executive Summary and the Final Report may also be requested, while supplies last, from: International Space University Strasbourg Central Campus Attention: Publications/Library Parc d’Innovation 1 rue Jean-Dominique Cassini 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden France Publications: Tel. +33 (0)3 88 65 54 32 Fax. +33 (0)3 88 65 54 47 E-mail. [email protected] International Space University i MSS 2016 Luna Hathor Authors AUTHORS International Space University ii MSS 2016 Luna Hathor Abstract ABSTRACT This report addresses the topic of international and public/private mission collaboration from a 3I (Intercultural, International, Interdisciplinary) viewpoint. The motivation for this study is derived from a renewed interest through missions from NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ISRO and CASC with recent talks on permanent human and robotic presence on the Moon.
    [Show full text]
  • We All Yearn to Explore Space, Not Only with Unmanned Probes, but with Human Pioneers
    ATTSIQ #10 page 1 JANUARY 2015 We all yearn to explore space, not only with unmanned probes, but with human pioneers. Meanwhile, we are quite busy creating a debris shield that could imprison us on our home world, Let’s reverse course! INDEX 2 Co-sponsoring Organizations NEWS SECTION pp. 3-119 3-26 Earth Orbit and Mission to Planet Earth 27-29 Space Tourism 30-48 Cislunar Space and the Moon 49-75 Mars 76-89 Asteroids & Comets 90-107 Other Planets & their moons 108-119 Starbound ARTICLES, ESSAYS pp 120-160 120 Are we ever going to Settle the Moon? - Peter Kokh A fresh look at the idea of “Spinning-up” Industries Needed on the Moon - Peter Kokh 122 Exports to Earth need to be greater in value than imports from Earth; The “MUS/cle.” Equation 123 Biospheric Technologies needed on the Moon - and on Earth - Peter Kokh 124 We Need More Good & Realistic Moon & Mars Outpost & Settlement Art - Peter Kokh 125 SHIELDING: “The Good, the Bad, the Ugly” > ”The Drab, the Nice, the Beautiful“- Peter Kokh 127 Fun Time About Names: “Sun” “Earth” “Moon” - Peter Kokh 128 Meeting the Threat of Orbital Debris Authors - Al Anzaldua and David Dunlop 151 From Power Beaming at the International Space Station to Tethered Balloons, Proposed Cubesats and a Growing Network of First Nations° Connected Organizations - Dave Dunlop, 158 The Emerging Lunar Reconvergence - Dave Dunlop 162 Online Op-Ed Articles from other writers worth reading STUDENTS & TEACHERS pp 161-164 165 NASA Launches Student Contest for 3D-Printed Astronaut Tools 166 Contestant gets to name new ISS “Droid”; 167 PISCES to host winning mooniest team; The “Cities at Night Project” is asking for your help.
    [Show full text]
  • March 16–20, 2015
    FORTY-SIXTH LUNAR AND PLANETARY SCIENCE CONFERENCE PROGRAM OF TECHNICAL SESSIONS MARCH 16–20, 2015 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center The Woodlands, Texas INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT Universities Space Research Association Lunar and Planetary Institute National Aeronautics and Space Administration CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS Stephen Mackwell, Lunar and Planetary Institute Eileen Stansbery, NASA Johnson Space Center PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIR David Draper, NASA Johnson Space Center PROGRAM COMMITTEE Doug Archer, NASA Johnson Space Center Tom Lapen, University of Houston Aaron Bell, University of New Mexico Francis McCubbin, University of New Mexico Katherine Bermingham, University of Maryland Andrew Needham, Lunar and Planetary Institute Aaron Burton, NASA Johnson Space Center Debra Hurwitz Needham, Lunar and Planetary Institute Paul Byrne, Lunar and Planetary Institute Paul Niles, NASA Johnson Space Center Roy Christoffersen, Jacobs Technology Lan-Anh Nguyen, NASA Johnson Space Center Kate Craft, Johns Hopkins University, Dorothy Oehler, NASA Johnson Space Center Applied Physics Laboratory Noah Petro, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Deepak Dhingra, University of Idaho Ross Potter, Brown University Steve Elardo, Carnegie Institution of Washington Liz Rampe, Aerodyne Industries, Jacobs JETS at NASA Ryan Ewing, Texas A&M University Johnson Space Center Marc Fries, NASA Johnson Space Center Jennifer Rapp, NASA Johnson Space Center Juliane Gross, Rutgers University Christine Shupla, Lunar and Planetary Institute John Gruener, NASA Johnson Space Center Axel Wittman, Washington University, St. Louis Justin Hagerty, U.S. Geological Survey James Wray, Georgia Institute of Technology Kristen John, NASA Johnson Space Center Mike Wong, University of California, Berkeley Georgiana Kramer, Lunar and Planetary Institute Produced by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston TX 77058-1113, which is supported by NASA under Award No.
    [Show full text]