Lunar Science with Affordable Small Spacecraft Technologies: Moonlite and Moonraker
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THE PLANETARY REPORT FAREWELL, SEPTEMBER EQUINOX 2017 VOLUME 37, NUMBER 3 CASSINI Planetary.Org CELEBRATING a LEGACY of DISCOVERIES
THE PLANETARY REPORT FAREWELL, SEPTEMBER EQUINOX 2017 VOLUME 37, NUMBER 3 CASSINI planetary.org CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF DISCOVERIES ATMOSPHERIC CHANGES C DYNAMIC RINGS C COMPLICATED TITAN C ACTIVE ENCELADUS ABOUT THIS ISSUE LINDA J. SPILKER is Cassini project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. IN 2004, Cassini, the most distant planetary seafloor. As a bonus, it has revealed jets of orbiter ever launched by humanity, arrived at water vapor and ice particles shooting out of Saturn. For 13 years, through its primary and fractures at the moon’s south pole. two extended missions, this spacecraft has These discoveries have fundamentally been making astonishing discoveries, reshap- altered many of our concepts of where life ing and changing our understanding of this may be found in our solar system. Cassini’s unique planetary system within our larger observations at Enceladus and Titan have made system of unique worlds. A few months ater exploring these ocean worlds a major focus for arrival, Cassini released Huygens, European planetary science. New insights from these dis- Space Agency’s parachuted probe built to coveries also have implications for potentially study the atmosphere and surface of Titan habitable worlds beyond our solar system. and image its surface for the very first time. In this special issue of The Planetary Report, a handful of Cassini scientists share some results from their studies of Saturn and its moons. Because there’s no way to fit every- thing into this slim volume, they’ve focused on a few highlights. Meanwhile, Cassini continues performing its Grand Finale orbits between the rings and the top of Saturn’s atmosphere, circling the planet once every 6.5 days. -
MOONLITE : the SCIENTIFIC CASE. IA Crawford1, AJ Ball2, L. Wilson3
Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIX (2008) 1069.pdf * MOONLITE : THE SCIENTIFIC CASE. I.A. Crawford1, A.J. Ball2, L. Wilson3, A. Smith4, Y. Gao5 and the UK Pene- trator Consortium6. 1School of Earth Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, WC1E 7HX, UK. 2Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. 3Department of Environmental Science, Lancaster University, UK. 4Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, UK. 5Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey, UK.6www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/pages/general/news/UKLPC/UKLPC.pdf. *MoonLITE is a UK-led initiative which is currently the focus of a joint UK-NASA study. (Email: [email protected]). Introduction: The principal scientific importance the lunar crust and upper mantle [4,5]. However, the of the Moon is as a recorder of geological processes deep interior of the Moon was only very loosely con- active in the early history of terrestrial planets (e.g. strained by Apollo seismology due to the geographi- planetary differentiation, magma ocean formation and cally limited coverage of the network (essentially a evolution, etc), and of the near-Earth cosmic environ- triangle between the Apollo 12/14, 15 and 16 sites), so ment throughout Solar System history [1,2]. Although the information obtained on crustal thickness and man- the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions have in tle structure may not be globally representative. There recent years greatly added to our knowledge of the is now a pressing need for a more widely-spaced net- geochemical and mineralogical makeup of the lunar work of lunar seismic stations, including stations at surface, and these observations will soon be supple- high latitudes and on the farside. -
Laser Retroreflectors for Insight and an International Mars Geophysical Network (MGN)
50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 1492.pdf Laser Retroreflectors for InSight and an International Mars Geophysical Network (MGN). S. Dell’Agnello1, G.O. Delle Monache1, L. Porcelli1,2, M. Tibuzzi1, L. Salvatori1, C. Mondaini1, M. Muccino1, L. Ioppi1, O. Luongo1, M. Petrassi1, G. Bianco1,3, R. Vittori1,4, W.B. Banerdt5, J.F. Grinblat5, C. Benedetto3, F. Pasquali3, R. Mugnuolo3, D.C. Gruel5, J.L.Vago6 and P. Baglioni6. 1Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare–Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (INFN–LNF), Via E. Fermi 40, 00044, Frascati, Italy ([email protected]); 2Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria (UniCal), Via P. Bucci, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy; 3Agenzia Spaziale Italiana– Centro di Geodesia Spaziale “Giuseppe Colombo” (ASI–CGS), Località, Terlecchia 75100, Matera, Italy; 4Italian Air Force, Rome, Italy, ASI and Embassy of Italy in Washington DC; 5NASA–Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA; 6ESA–ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Abstract. There are laser retroreflectors on the Moon, of the INFN-ASI Affiliation-Association to NASA- but there were no laser retroreflectors on Mars until the SSERVI sservi.nasa.gov) is shown in the figure below. NASA InSight mission [1][2] landed and started oper- ating successfully on the surface of the red planet on Nov. 26, 2018. The ESA ExoMars Schiaparelli mis- sion, which unfortunately failed Mars landing in 2016, was carrying a laser retroreflector like InSight [3]. These instruments are positioned by measuring the time-of-flight of short laser pulses, the so-called “laser ranging” technique (for details on satellite/lunar laser ranging and altimetry see https://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov). -
Deep Space 2: the Mars Microprobe Project and Beyond
First International Conference on Mars Polar Science 3039.pdf DEEP SPACE 2: THE MARS MICROPROBE PROJECT AND BEYOND. S. E. Smrekar and S. A. Gavit, Mail Stop 183-501, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasa- dena CA 91109, USA ([email protected]). Mission Overview: The Mars Microprobe Proj- System Design, Technologies, and Instruments: ect, or Deep Space 2 (DS2), is the second of the New Telecommunications. The DS2 telecom system, Millennium Program planetary missions and is de- which is mounted on the aftbody electronics plate, signed to enable future space science network mis- relays data back to earth via the Mars Global Surveyor sions through flight validation of new technologies. A spacecraft which passes overhead approximately once secondary goal is the collection of meaningful science every 2 hours. The receiver and transmitter operate in data. Two micropenetrators will be deployed to carry the Ultraviolet Frequency Range (UHF) and data is out surface and subsurface science. returned at a rate of 7 Kbits/second. The penetrators are being carried as a piggyback Ultra-low-temperature lithium primary battery. payload on the Mars Polar Lander cruise ring and will One challenging aspect of the microprobe design is be launched in January of 1999. The Microprobe has the thermal environment. The batteries are likely to no active control, attitude determination, or propulsive stay no warmer than -78° C. A lithium-thionyl pri- systems. It is a single stage from separation until mary battery was developed to survive the extreme landing and will passively orient itself due to its aero- temperature, with a 6 to 14 V range and a 3-year shelf dynamic design (Fig. -
Church of the Brethren May Meet Hrre In
' ' , s i * Take inventory of your printed” sup One word can tell the Btory of con plies; If you need anything, the - tinued business activity in the com - j ■ ' Times stands ready to give munity—Advertising. vi:;/ you Bervice, • . AND THE SJIOUE TIMES FOUR CENTS /,-;t VOL. LX . No. 33 OCEAN GROVE, NEW JERSEY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1935 - / ' : $ THOMSON GETS ‘MARTHA" IS BIBLE LESSON HOTEL MEN WANT CHURCH 7,500 HEAR BISHOP MOUZON Mrs. Gertrude Brown To Teach At OF THE BRETHREN RARE SOUVENIRS St; Paul’s MORE PUBLICITY in Au ditoriu m sermons “Martha” is the Bible class les MAY MEET HRRE IN 1936 THREE ANNIVERSARY: MEMOS son for .the coming Sundny. Text, WILL REQUEST LARGER BUD “Jesus loved! Martha and her sister ARE PRESENTED and! Lazarus,” John,: 11:5: Read GET APPROPRIATION. Preacher Sees Chance For Uniting of Three Luke, 10\38-42 and John, VI '.17-28. National Convention Would Bring Eight Thou Sixth Founders’ Day, Stokes Gold Dr, Francis Harvey Green will be Appoint Nominating Committee Branches of Methodist Church—Prays For en Wedding and Dr. Ballard’s the teacher 'at the|. Auditorium For Report at September Meet sand Delegates for Eight Days—Dr. Hen Bible Class,, at" 2.30. .Written Ques Birthday Arc Noted In Special ing of Ocean Grove Hotel As Kingdom of God and Revival of Hope, tions will be answered at the begin son Offers Buildings for Sessions—Ar Announcements. ning of theperiod. sociation. Endorse Play-Ground Faith and Love— Gives His Definition of Three precious documents have The Assembly BiblejClhss, which D rive/ rangements Committee Decides Today. -
Rapid Development of Navigation Payloads for Galileo Full Operational Capability
Changing the economics of space RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NAVIGATION PAYLOADS FOR GALILEO FULL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY Alex da Silva Curiel Dubai, January 2011 SSTL - the company UK-based satellite manufacturing company owned by EADS Astrium NV (99%) and the University of Surrey (1%) • Formed in 1985, the Company now employs >320 staff and occupies dedicated facilities in Surrey, Kent & Colorado 2 A history of success 34 Satellites completed – c.200 satellite years on-orbit experience 10 Further satellites (35-43) - currently being prepared for launch 18 payloads in progress (4 optical, 14 navigation) HERITAGE: Flight proven - low risk RESULTS: All projects fixed price, delivered on-time and on-budget SUCCESS: Very high mission success – 100% mission success in last 10 years – proven equipment and full redundancy CUSTOMERS: Variety of customers including many “blue chip” operators as well as 15 successful training programmes 3 What is Galileo? Galileo is a joint initiative of the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Galileo will be Europe’s own global navigation satellite system, providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. It will be inter-operable with GPS and GLONASS, the two other global satellite navigation systems 4 Galileo Services • Galileo offers 5 services: – Open signal, dual frequency, mass market use – Commercial signal, better accuracy, service guarantee – authenticated data – Safety-of-Life signal, high integrity service certified for use in safety related -
Moonlite: a UK-Led Mission to the Moon Downloaded from by Guest on 24 September 2021
CRAWFORD, SMITH: MOONLITE MoonLITE: A UK-led mission to the Moon Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/astrogeo/article/49/3/3.11/218588 by guest on 24 September 2021 Ian 1: Farside view of the Moon Crawford as seen by the and Alan Clementine spacecraft. Smith Penetrators discuss the launched by the MoonLITE orbiter scientific would allow surface objectives of investigations in areas not visited by Luna, the proposed Surveyor or Apollo missions. MoonLITE mission. (NASA/JPL/USGS) hile the surface missions to during the Apollo programme (see Wiec- the Moon of the 1960s and 1970s zorek et al. 2006, for a review). Moreover, the Wachieved a great deal, scientifically recent remote-sensing missions have themselves much was also left unresolved. The recent ABSTRACT raised questions that will require new surface plethora of lunar missions (flown or proposed) measurements for their resolution, of which reflects a resurgence in interest in the Moon, not MoonLITE is a proposal for a UK-led one of the most important is the circumstantial only in its own right, but also as a recorder of mission to the Moon that will place four evidence for water ice, and by implication other the early history of the Earth–Moon system and penetrators in the lunar surface in order volatiles, within permanently shaded craters at of the interplanetary environment 1 AU from the to make geochemical and geophysical the lunar poles (Feldman et al. 1998). Sun (e.g. Spudis 1996, Crawford 2004, Jolliff measurements that are impossible from In order to make significant further progress et al. -
Chang'e 5 Samples (Mexag) (Head-Final)
Chang’E 5 Lunar Sample Return Mission Update James w. Head Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Brown University Providence, RI 02912 USA Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting: April 7 - 8, 2021. Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting Barbara Cohen, ExMAG Chair. 2/10/21 • 1. Please provide an update on the Chang'e 5 Sample Return Mission. • 2. What is known of the collection so far? • 3. Please provide an overview of allocation procedures. • 4. Since US federally-funded researchers cannot work directly with China - Who outside of China is working with the mission team? • 5. We'd also appreciate your thoughts on: What NASA might be able to do to enable the US analysis community to collaborate on this sample collection? Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting Barbara Cohen, ExMAG Chair. 2/10/21 • 1. Some Myths and Realities. • 2. Organization of the Chinese Space Program. • 3. Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) context for Chang’e 5. • 4. Chang’e 5 Landing Site Selection, Global Context, Key Questions, Mission Operations and Sample Return. • 5. Returned Sample Location, Storage, Preliminary Analysis and Distribution. • 6. Opportunities for International Cooperation. Extraterrestrial Materials Analysis Group (ExMAG) Spring Meeting Barbara Cohen, ExMAG Chair. 2/10/21 • 1. Some Myths and Realities. • 2. Organization of the Chinese Space Program. • 3. Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) context for Chang’e 5. • 4. Chang’e 5 Landing Site Selection, Global Context, Key Questions, Mission Operations and Sample Return. • 5. Returned Sample Location, Storage, Preliminary Analysis and Distribution. • 6. Opportunities for International Cooperation. -
Cubex: a Compact X-Ray Telescope Enables Both X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy and Pulsar Timing Based Navigation
SSC18-V-05 CubeX: A compact X-Ray Telescope Enables both X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy and Pulsar Timing Based Navigation Jan Stupl, Monica Ebert, David Mauro SGT / NASA Ames NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA; 650-604-4032 [email protected] JaeSub Hong Harvard University Cambridge, MA Suzanne Romaine, Almus Kenter, Janet Evans, Ralph Kraft Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA Larry Nittler Carnegie Institution of Washington Washington, DC Ian Crawford Birkbeck College London, UK David Kring Lunar and Planetary Institute Houston, TX Noah Petro, Keith. Gendreau, Jason Mitchell, Luke Winternitz NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD Rebecca. Masterson, Gregory Prigozhin Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA Brittany Wickizer NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA Kellen Bonner, Ashley Clark, Arwen Dave, Andres Dono-Perez, Ali Kashani, Daniel Larrabee, Samuel Montez, Karolyn Ronzano, Tim Snyder MEI / NASA Ames Research Center Joel Mueting, Laura Plice Metis / NASA Ames Research Center NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Yueh-Liang Shen, Duy Nguyen Booz Allen Hamilton / NASA Ames NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Stupl 1 32nd Annual AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites ABSTRACT This paper describes the miniaturized X-ray telescope payload, CubeX, in the context of a lunar mission. The first part describes the payload in detail, the second part summarizes a small satellite mission concept that utilizes its compact form factor and performance. This instrument can be used for both X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy and X-ray pulsar timing-based navigation (XNAV). It combines high angular resolution (<1 arcminutes) Miniature Wolter-I X-ray optics (MiXO) with a common focal plane consisting of high spectral resolution (<150 eV at 1 keV) CMOS X-ray sensors and a high timing resolution (< 1 µsec) SDD X-ray sensor. -
OCEANUS (Organisms and Compounds of Europa – an Analysis Under the Surface) – Concept Mission De- Sign
49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083) 1871.pdf OCEANUS (Organisms and Compounds of Europa – an Analysis Under the Surface) – Concept Mission De- sign. M.V. Heemskerk1, G. de Zeeuw1, W. van Westrenen1, B. H. Foing1,2. 1VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands, ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected]) 2ESA ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands ([email protected]) Introduction: 1. Buildup of the ice crust and its ocean; Un- In 2022, ESA (European Space Agency) will launch derstanding how recent and/or current tidal an orbiter – JUICE (JUpiter ICy moon Explorer) – and geological processes are formed. which will collect atmospheric data of Jupiter and 2. Chemical composition; Characterizing the three of its Galilean moons; Ganymede, Europa and properties of the ocean and its crust to de- Callisto [1]. As this is but an orbiter, further explora- scry the origin of organic compounds. tion of the (sub)surface remains out of reach. As of 3. Geomorphology; Understanding the for- today, the most suitable prospect for the occurrence of extra-terrestrial life forms appears to be Europa. mation of surface features Europa contains liquid water [2], simple organic B. Model Instrument Payload: The lander payload compounds [3], a subsurface power source [4] and a consists of two high-definition reconnaissance camer- lot of ice. Convection and tidal flexure could also as, a magnetometer, an altimeter, a short-wave infra- give way to a possible zone for the emergence of life, red spectrometer, a gamma and X-ray detector, a ra- for the bottom of this subsurface ocean may house diation shielding, the ESS, and the ECMD. -
NASA Satellite Laser Ranging Program
NASA Satellite Laser Ranging Program NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Ron Sebeny MOBLAS 4 Station Manager December 9, 2011 What is Satellite Laser Ranging? Map of International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) Network Metsahovi PotsdamRiga Mendeleevo Borowiec Komsomolsk Herstmonceux Wettzell Zimmerwald Graz Simiez Changchun Grasse (2) Maidanak Cagliari KtiKatzive lly Beijing Greenbelt San Fernando Matera Keystone (4) Monument Peak Riyadh Wuhan Simosato McDonald Helwan Shanghai Kunming Santiago de Cuba Haleakala Arequipa South Africa Tahiti Yarragadee CiConcepcion Mt. Stromlo Legend: NASA NASA Partner International Cooperating Project: Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) NASA SLR Network: • Eight Ground Stations • Part of International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) • Data operations – Data reception, processing, and analysis – Orbit determination – Acquisition generation – Data Archive Laser Ranging Satellite Missions (past/present) : • Geodetic: – Larets, Starlette, Stella, Ajisai, LAGEOS-1, LAGEOS-2, Etalon-1, Etalon-2, BLITS • Earth Sensing/Technology Demonstration: – CHAMP, GRACE-A, GRACE-B, ICESat, Jason-1, Jason-2, Envisat, ERS-2, ETS-8, Beacon-C, TerraSAR-X, SOHLA-1, GOCE, CryoSat-2 • NitiNavigation: – GLONASS-102, GLONASS-115, GLONASS-120, GPS-35, GPS-36, GIOVE-A, GIOVE-B, Compass-M1 4 MOBLAS 4 Monument Peak MOBLAS 4 Monument Peak What is LRO? • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter – NASA’s Mission to map the moons surface with highest accuracy to date (highly successful thus far) • Laser ranggging to LRO will imp rove the scientific value of the -
Mars= Oceanus Borealis, Ancient Glaciers, and the Megaoutflo Hypothesis
Lunar and Planetary Science XXXI 1863.pdf MARS= OCEANUS BOREALIS, ANCIENT GLACIERS, AND THE MEGAOUTFLO HYPOTHESIS. V.R. Baker1, 2, R.G. Strom2, J.M. Dohm1, V.C. Gulick3, J.S. Kargel4, G. Komatsu5, G.G. Ori5, and J.W. Rice, Jr.2; 1Dept. Of Hydrology and Water Res., Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0011, 2Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, 3NASA-Ames Research Center, MS 245-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035, 4U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001; 5Dipartimento di Scienze, Universitad d=Annunzio, Viale Pindaro 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy. ([email protected]) Introduction: Recent results from the Mars Orbiter (~108+ years), during which the Mars surface had ex- Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument of Mars Global tremely cold, dry conditions similar to those prevailing Surveyor [1, 2] corroborate the existence of a vast today, terminated by short-duration (~104 to 105 years) ocean on the northern plains of Mars. Named Oceanus episodes of much warmer, wetter conditions associated Borealis [3], this great ponding of water, documented with a transient greenhouse climate. These quasi-stable by several investigators over the past 15 years [4, 5, 6, episodes resulted in glaciation [21, 22] and valley net- 7, 8], formed and reformed episodically during later work formation [8, 23] late in Martian history, coinci- Mars history, after cessation of the late heavy bom- dent with the great outflow channel discharges that bardment [3]. Among the many geological indicators formed Oceanus Borealis. The processes are cyclic of this ocean, several interpreted shoreline features [7, with the long epochs of cold-dry conditions alternating 9] are disputed by one study of a small number of Mars with very short episodes of cool-wet conditions associ- Orbiter Camera (MOC) images [10].