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NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer: Little Mission, Big Science

Presented by: Dr. Rick Elphic and Brian Day

May 31, 2011 Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer: Little Mission, Big Science

May 31, 2011 NSTA Webinar

Rick Elphic, LADEE Project Scientist

NASA Moffett Field, California Outline of Talk

1. Science Background for LADEE 2. LADEE Payload: 3 science instruments, 1 tech demo 3. LADEE 4. LADEE 5. LADEE Mission Profile 6. Schedule & Cost

LADEE: Big Science 3 Science Background LADEE: Science Focus

Lunar : A nearby example of a common type of atmosphere, the Surface Boundary Exosphere. Dust: Does evidence point to electrostatic lofting?

In 2008, the door opened to investigate these questions: NASA Hq directed Ames Research Center to do the LADEE mission.

LADEE: Big Science 5 LADEE Science Background

• 2003 NRC Decadal Survey: “New Frontiers in the : An Integrated Exploration Strategy” • LEAG Roadmap Objective Sci-A-3: Characterize the environment and processes …in the lunar exosphere • National Research Council (NRC) report, “Scientific Context for the Exploration of the ” (SCEM) • 2011 NRC Decadal Survey: “Vision and Voyages for in the Decade 2013-2022” – Execute LADEE mission

LADEE: Big Science 6 and Dust

Surface Boundary Exospheres (SBEs) may be the common type of atmosphere in the system… Large & KBOs

Itokawa Moon

Europa & Evidence of dust motion on other Icy asteroids and the Moon....

Io

LADEE CDR ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL WARNING Eros MayLADEE: 17-20, Big2011 Science 7 7 Lunar Exosphere – Measurements

Surface measurements: Ar and He -based measurements: Na and K

40 LACE Ar Measurements

We know that Ar, , Na and K exist in the exosphere.

LADEE CDR ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL WARNING MayLADEE: 17-20, Big2011 Science 8 8 SELENE/Kaguya Observations of Na

• UPI-TVIS instrument • Viewed Na column away from Moon • Distribution consistent with hot source (2000 – 6000 K)

LADEE: Big Science 9 9 SELENE/Kaguya Observations of Na

• UPI-TVIS instrument • Viewed Na column away from Moon • Distribution consistent with hot source (2000 – 6000 K) • Density varies over 3- timescale • Density appears to decrease between 1st quarter and 3rd quarter

LADEE: Big Science 10 10 The Moon has a Sodium Tail!

• The Moon’s Na exosphere doesn’t stay put – it blows away! • At , the Na atoms going antisunward are gravity-focused by Earth. • All-sky images from Earth reveal this anti- solar tail.

LADEE: Big Science 11 11 The Moon has a Sodium Tail!

• The Moon’s Na exosphere doesn’t stay put – it blows away! • At New Moon, the Na atoms going antisunward are Off-band subtracted gravity-focused by Earth. • All-sky images from Earth reveal this anti- solar tail.

LADEE: Big Science 12 12 Lunar Exosphere – Solar Input

(Wieser et al, 2009) Chandrayaan Neutral Particles: >1 eV neutral is lost.

LADEE: Big Science 13 13 “Disappearing” Surficial H2O and OH

• Chandrayaan-1 M3, EPOXI and Cassini VIMS 3-μm observations. • Presence of H2O and OH in/on surface grains: o Signature deepest at high latitudes and off-noon local times. o Where do OH, H2O go? Into exosphere? Polar cold traps?

Pieters et al Science 2009 Clark et al Science 2009

LADEE: Big Science LADEE ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL 14 LCROSS Impact Results

Water Vapor and Ice in Model Fit: 7.4% ± 5% by mass

Add other species:

CH4, CO2, SO2

LADEE: Big Science LADEE ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL 15 15 Lunar Dust: Electrostatic Levitation?

Lunar Ejecta and experiment (LEAM) Terminators

Berg et al., 1976 • surface experiment LEAM detected dust activity correlated with the lunar terminators

LADEE: Big Science 16 Lunar Dust: Electrostatic Levitation?

• images of lunar horizon glow (“LHG”) • Prevailing theory: <10 μm dust, ~150m away, ~1m high on sunset horizon

LADEE: Big Science LADEE ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL 17 Lunar Dust – in ?

Gene Cernan sketches from Apollo McCoy and Criswell, 1974 Command Module Apollo CM Trajectory

Dust?

• Eyewitness accounts of “streamers” from Apollo command module • Too bright to be meteoritic ejecta • Exosphere and/or high altitude (50 km) dust is one possibility • Key goal if LADEE is to help resolve this open question

LADEE: Big Science LADEE ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL 18 18 LADEE Project Level Science Objectives

• LADEE Objective 1: Determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions.

• LADEE Objective 2: Characterize the lunar exospheric dust environment and measure any spatial and temporal variability and impacts on the lunar atmosphere.

JulyLADEE: 20 Big – Science 23, 2010 LADEE ITAR RESTRICTED MATERIAL 19 19 Let’s pause for questions from the audience LADEE Payload LADEE Payload: 3 science, 1 tech demo

Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) UV-Vis Spectrometer (UVS) Dust and exosphere MSL/SAM Heritage SMD - directed instrument LCROSS heritage measurements SMD - directed instrument In situ measurement A. Colaprete of exospheric NASA ARC species

P. Mahaffy NASA GSFC

150 Dalton range/unit mass resolution

Lunar Dust EXperiment (LDEX) Lunar Com Demo (LLCD) HEOS 2, , and Cassini Heritage Technology demonstration SMD - Competed instrument High Data Rate SOMD - directed instrument M. Horányi Optical Comm LASP D. Boroson MIT-LL

51-622 Mbps

LADEE: Big Science 22 LADEE Neutral Mass Spectrometer

Measurement Concept: • High-sensitivity quadrupole mass spectrometer, mass range 1 - 150 Dalton and unit mass resolution. • At 50-km or lower can detect , and other species. • Ultra high vacuum (UHV) materials and processing used in the fabrication of NMS yield a substantial improvement over background instrument noise from Apollo era instruments, corresponding increase in sensitivity of the measurement. • The sensitivity is necessary to adequately measure the low density . NMS Team: Performance Data: • Instrument PI: Dr. Paul Mahaffy/GSFC • Closed Source species: He, Ar, non-reactive neutrals • Instrument Manager: Dr. Todd King/GSFC • Open Source species: neutrals and ions • Instrument SE: Jim Kellog/GSFC • Mass Range: 2 - 150 Da • Mass Resolution: unit mass resolution over entire range • Sensitivity: 10-2 (counts per second) / (particles per cc) Participating Organizations: • Mass: 11.3 kg • NASA/GSFC • Volume: 23,940 cm3 • U. Michigan/Space Physics Research Lab • Envelope: 43.2 cm x 24.5 cm x 37.0 cm • Power: 34.4 W average • Battel Engineering • CDH interface: 422 differential • AMU Engineering • Data Rate: 3.5 kbs • Nolan Engineering • Data Volume: 8.5e6 bits per orbit (assuming 40% duty cycle over a 113 min ) LADEE: Big Science 23 Mass spectrum from CoNTour NMS

LADEE: Big Science 24 UV/Vis Spectrometer (UVS)

Measurement Concept: • UVS includes UV-VIS Spectrometer, telescope, solar diffuser, & bifurcated • UVS observations consists of limb and occultation measurements • Limb observations measure the lunar atmosphere, & also measure limb dust by measuring back- or forward-scattered sunlight • Solar occultation observations measure lunar atmospheric dust extinction from 0 to 50 km

Team: Performance Data: • PI/PM: Dr. Tony Colaprete / ARC • In Limb mode measures atmospheric species • Instrument SEs: Leonid Osetinsky / ARC including: K, Na, Al, Si, Ca, Li, OH, H2O and Ryan Vaughan / ARC • By combining long integration times, UVS measures each specie to < current upper limits • In limb mode measures dust (via scatter) at Participating Organizations: concentrations as low as 10-4 per cc for r=100 nm • NASA/ARC size particles. • Design & Technology • In occultation mode measures dust (via • Visioneering, LLC extinction) at concentrations as low as 10-4 per cc for r=100 nm size particles down 300 meters alt. • 3.98 kg LADEE: Big Science • 14 W (average operation) 25 July 20 – 23, 2010 Anticipated SNR Exospheric Species

LADEE: Big Science 26 Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX)

Measurement Concept: • LDEX is an impact ionization dust detector • Measures the mass of individual dust

grains with m ≥ 1.7x10-16 kg (radius rg ≥ 0.3 micron) for impact speeds ≈ 1.7km/s • Also measures the collective current due to grains below the threshold for individual detection, enabling the search for dust

grains with rg ≈ 0.1 micron over the terminators Team: Performance Data/Key Science PI: Mihaly Horanyi PM: Mark Lankton • Characterizes the dust exosphere by mapping size and spatial distribution of IS: Zoltan Sternovsky dust grains SE: David Gathright • Measures relative contribution of dust Participating Organization: sources: interplanetary vs. lunar origin. Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space • Mass: 3.45kg (with reserves) Physics, University of Colorado • Power: 6.11W peak, 5W ops (with reserves) • Data: 1kb/s

LADEE: Big Science Payload: 27 27 How LDEX works…

ions

LADEE: Big Science 28 LDEX Dust Accelerator data

LADEE: Big Science 29 LLCD Technology Demo

Objectives/Features: • Demonstrate laser communication between the Earth and the LADEE spacecraft in . NASA’s first step in developing high performance laser communications systems for future operational missions. • Demonstrate major functions – High bandwidth space to ground link using an optical terminal – Robust pointing, acquisition, tracking LLCD has three primary parts: – Duplex communication day/night, full/new moon, • Lunar Lasercom Space Terminal (LLST) high/low elevation, good/bad atmospherics • Lunar Lasercom Ground Terminal (LLGT) – Time-of-flight measurements, as a by-product of the • Lunar Lasercom Operations Center (LLOC) duplex communication, that could be built into a high-accuracy ranging system LLCD Team: Performance Data: • Mission Manager: Hsiao Smith/GSFC • Space Terminal: • Principal Investigator: Don Boroson/MIT/LL – 10 cm, 0.5W, 1.55um • Co-Investigator: Mike Krainak/GSFC – 40-622 Mbps xmt, 10-20 Mbps rcv • Mission Systems Engineer: Brendan – Duplex operation, fully gimbaled • Ground Terminal Feehan/BAH – Downlink Receiver • Financial Manager: Debbie Dodson/GSFC » 4@40cm; 40-622 Mbps Participating Organization: » Superconducting Nanowire Detector Arrays • NASA/GSFC – Uplink Transmitter • MIT/Lincoln Laboratory (LL) » 4@15cm, 10W; 10-20 Mbps • Mass: 32.8 kg (with reserves), Power: 136.5W LADEE: Big Science 30 July 20 – 23, 2010 Payload: 30 LADEE Spacecraft LADEE Common Bus Design History

MCR: 3-module, 2- stage prop system with SRM & bi- 1 prop, 4 Instruments, Launch solo on Award/Kickoff: 3-module, MinV 2-stage prop, 2 instruments, Launch w/GRAIL

PDR: see major PDR: see major changes changessince KDP-B since on subsequent KDP-Bslide. on subsequent slide. Summary: Modular feature of S/C bus has been adaptable to change, but at 3 Summary:cost of constraining Modular mass margin available for PDR featuretrade space. of S/C bus has been adaptable to change.

SRR/MDR: 4-module, single-stage bi-prop system, 4 instruments, MinV

LADEE: Big Science 32 LADEE: Ames Common Bus Spacecraft

Radiator Assembly

LDEX UVS Bus Module

Payload Module

LLCD NMS

Extension Modules

Propulsion Module

LADEE: Big Science 33 Let’s pause for questions from the audience Launch Vehicle Launch Vehicle: LADEE and V

PAF

Stage 5 Avionics Cylinder

LADEE: Big Science 36 LADEE Launch Vehicle: A Sporty Ride!

(Minotaur IV)

LADEE: Big Science 37 LADEE Launch from

LADEE: Big Science 38 Mission Profile LADEE Post-launch: Phasing Loops

Nominal Launch Vehicle Insertion 60 Re

60 Re 50 Re

43 Re

6.3 8.0 10.4 5.25 days days days days

Total Time of Flight: 30 Days

LADEE: Big Science 40 LADEE Lunar Orbit Acquisition

Maneuver Timing -V Duration LOI-1 Periselene + 2 min 267 m/s 197 s (3 min 17 s) (approx.) LOI-2 LOI-1 + 2 Days 296 m/s 198 s (3 min 17 s) LOI-3 LOI-1 + 4 Days 239 m/s 146 s (2 min 26 s)

LADEE: Big Science 41 Commissioning Phase

• Get science instruments working

• Perform LLCD Ops

LADEE: Big Science 42 Nominal Science Operations

LADEE: Big Science 43 End of Mission! (Gravity always wins…)

Spacecraft and Orbit Maintenance: • Planning key spacecraft activities to maximize time in orbit and science return

Science Campaign: • Planning for high value science opportunities at extremely low lunar altitude

• Impact into far side terrain (avoid legacy sites like Apollo, Luna, Surveyor etc.)

LADEE: Big Science 44 Schedule, Budget

• Launch slated for May, 2013

• Overall mission cost: $236M • Payload: $37.4M • Spacecraft: $74.6M • Launch Vehicle: $63.4M • Rest includes: • Project mgmt, SE, S&MA, Science, PL • Mission Ops, Ground systems, I&T, EPO

LADEE: Big Science 45 LADEE: Mission of Many “Firsts”

LADEE : • First mission with Ames “common bus” architecture • First flight of (modified Peacekeeper ICBM w/add’l upper stages) • First deep space launch from Wallops Flight Facility • Laser communications technology demonstration Partners • Ames does s/c development, integration & test, mission operations • GSFC is payload integrator, science operations • WFF is launch integrator

LADEE: Big Science 46 Let’s pause for questions from the audience LADEE Lunar Education

Resources bringing lunar exploration into your classroom

Brian Day – NASA Lunar Science Institute Brian.H.Day@.gov

Lunar Sample Educational Disk Program Six samples of lunar material (three soils and three rocks) encapsulated in a six‐inch diameter clear lucite disk are available for you to borrow and bring into your classroom. The disk is accompanied by written and graphic descriptions of each sample in the disk. Mr. Louis Parker JSC Exhibits Manager National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Mail Code AP 2101 NASA Parkway , 77058‐3696 Telephone: 281‐483‐8622 FAX: 281‐483‐4876 EMail: [email protected] With Moon Zoo, students and members of the public can assist lunar scientists in analyzing the high‐resolution images returned by the LROC instrument aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. They perform crater counts, search for boulders, and other interesting landforms.

•Solar radiation and particles play key roles in the production of the lunar atmosphere. •Your students can track the development of solar storms using data from student observations, observatories, and spacecraft. •http://son.nasa.gov/tass/ •Your students can help interpret data from NASA’s STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) spacecraft. •http://www.solarstormwatch.com/ Impact Cratering: A major force in shaping the surface of the Moon and a potentially important source for the lunar atmosphere.

http://quest/challenges/lcross/ Cratering the Moon NASA can simulate cratering impacts at the Ames Vertical Gun Range. Allows study of: •Different impactor shapes, masses and compositions •Different impact velocities and angles •Different target compositions and structures In the Cratering the Moon activity, students design their own lunar impact simulator. They conduct a study to determine what role the angle of incidence of an impact plays in determining how effective an impactor is in excavating material from beneath the Moon’s surface. Fresno Co. Juvenile Justice Campus

Student‐designed lunar impact simulator •3 teams totaling 60 students creating designs around LCROSS Impact the Moon Challenge. •Demonstrates continues utilization of resources. •Successfully engaging a particularly challenging student audience. NASA Environment Office •It will be valuable to have as many Lunar Impact Monitoring Program observations as possible of lunar impacts during the LADEE mission. Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers •This will facilitate studies examining (ALPO) Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search Section possible correlations between changes observed by LADEE and recorded •Help lunar scientists determine the impact events. rate of meteoroid impacts on the Moon. •Meteoroid impacts are an important source for the lunar exosphere and dust. •Can be done with a telescope as small as 8 inches of aperture. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/lunar/photos.html http://www.alpo-astronomy.org/ Meteor Counting

•The vast majority of impacting the Moon are too small to be observable from Earth. •Small meteoroids encountering the Earth’s atmosphere can result in readily-observable meteors. •Conducting counts of meteors during the LADEE mission will allow us to make inferences as to what is happening on the Moon at that time. •Much more simple requirements: a dark sky, your eyes, and log sheet. (a reclining lawn chair is very nice too!) •International Meteor Organization (http://imo.net/) •American Meteor Society (http://www.amsmeteors.org/)

Image credit:NASA/ISAS/Shinsuke Abe and Hajime Yano International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN)

•World-wide celebration of the Moon and lunar science. •Events held at NASA centers, museums, and schools. •InOMN 2010 featured over 500 events in more than 50 countries. •InOMN 2011 will occur on Saturday, October 8. •NASA programming streamed to local events. •Visit http://www.observethemoonnight.org/ to find an event near you or to learn how to conduct your own event. Additional Reading from NASA Science News

NASA Mission to Study the Moon's Fragile Atmosphere: Overview of the lunar atmosphere and the LADEE mission. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/23oct_ladee/

Moon Storms: How results from from the Apollo missions provides evidence of levitated lunar dust. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/07dec_moonstorms/

Moon Fountains: Describes the "fountain model" of levitating moondust. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/30mar_moonfountains/

Don't Breathe the Moondust: Examines the potential toxicity of lunar dust. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/22apr_dontinhale/

Crackling : The electrostatic hazards of lunar and Martian dust. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/10aug_crackling/

En Route to , the Moon: How learning to cope with lunar dust may help us in future explorations of Mars. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/18mar_moonfirst/ Selected Online Resources LADEE – http://www.nasa.gov/ladee NASA Lunar Science Institute - http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/ Exploring the Moon - http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/58199main_Exploring.The.Moon.pdf Lunar and Planetary Institute - http://www.lpi.usra.edu My Moon - http://www.lpi.usra.edu/mymoon/ Explore! - http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/ LRO - http://www.nasa.gov/lro Solar System Exploration at JPL - http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov Year of the Solar System - http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss/ Lunar Samples Program - http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/index.cfm Moon Zoo - http://www.moonzoo.org/ Tracking a Solar Storm - http://son.nasa.gov/tass/ Solar Stormwatch - http://www.solarstormwatch.com/ LCROSS Cratering the Moon - http://quest/challenges/lcross/ Lunar Impact Monitoring - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/lunar/photos.html Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) - http://www.alpo-astronomy.org/ International Meteor Organization - http://imo.net/ American Meteor Society - http://www.amsmeteors.org/ International Observe the Moon Night - http://www.observethemoonnight.org/ Thank you to the sponsor of tonight's Web Seminar:

This web seminar contains information about programs, products, and services offered by third parties, as well as links to third-party websites. The presence of a listing or such information does not constitute an endorsement by NSTA of a particular company or organization, or its programs, products, or services. http://learningcenter.nsta.org http://www.elluminate.com National Science Teachers Association Dr. Francis Q. Eberle, Executive Director Zipporah Miller, Associate Executive Director Conferences and Programs Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director e-Learning

NSTA Web Seminars Paul Tingler, Director Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator

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