Existing Lunar Datasets
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Exploration of the Moon
Exploration of the Moon The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation from Earth. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the first leap in the quality of lunar observations. Galileo Galilei is generally credited as the first person to use a telescope for astronomical purposes; having made his own telescope in 1609, the mountains and craters on the lunar surface were among his first observations using it. NASA's Apollo program was the first, and to date only, mission to successfully land humans on the Moon, which it did six times. The first landing took place in 1969, when astronauts placed scientific instruments and returnedlunar samples to Earth. Apollo 12 Lunar Module Intrepid prepares to descend towards the surface of the Moon. NASA photo. Contents Early history Space race Recent exploration Plans Past and future lunar missions See also References External links Early history The ancient Greek philosopher Anaxagoras (d. 428 BC) reasoned that the Sun and Moon were both giant spherical rocks, and that the latter reflected the light of the former. His non-religious view of the heavens was one cause for his imprisonment and eventual exile.[1] In his little book On the Face in the Moon's Orb, Plutarch suggested that the Moon had deep recesses in which the light of the Sun did not reach and that the spots are nothing but the shadows of rivers or deep chasms. -
An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the Other Galilean Moons of Jupiter
An Impacting Descent Probe for Europa and the other Galilean Moons of Jupiter P. Wurz1,*, D. Lasi1, N. Thomas1, D. Piazza1, A. Galli1, M. Jutzi1, S. Barabash2, M. Wieser2, W. Magnes3, H. Lammer3, U. Auster4, L.I. Gurvits5,6, and W. Hajdas7 1) Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 2) Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, Sweden, 3) Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria, 4) Institut f. Geophysik u. Extraterrestrische Physik, Technische Universität, Braunschweig, Germany, 5) Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, Dwingelo, The Netherlands, 6) Department of Astrodynamics and Space Missions, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands 7) Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland. *) Corresponding author, [email protected], Tel.: +41 31 631 44 26, FAX: +41 31 631 44 05 1 Abstract We present a study of an impacting descent probe that increases the science return of spacecraft orbiting or passing an atmosphere-less planetary bodies of the solar system, such as the Galilean moons of Jupiter. The descent probe is a carry-on small spacecraft (< 100 kg), to be deployed by the mother spacecraft, that brings itself onto a collisional trajectory with the targeted planetary body in a simple manner. A possible science payload includes instruments for surface imaging, characterisation of the neutral exosphere, and magnetic field and plasma measurement near the target body down to very low-altitudes (~1 km), during the probe’s fast (~km/s) descent to the surface until impact. The science goals and the concept of operation are discussed with particular reference to Europa, including options for flying through water plumes and after-impact retrieval of very-low altitude science data. -
Jjmonl 1603.Pmd
alactic Observer GJohn J. McCarthy Observatory Volume 9, No. 3 March 2016 GRAIL - On the Trail of the Moon's Missing Mass GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) was a NASA scientific mission in 2011/12 to map the surface of the moon and collect data on gravitational anomalies. The image here is an artist's impres- sion of the twin satellites (Ebb and Flow) orbiting in tandem above a gravitational image of the moon. See inside, page 4 for information on gravitational anomalies (mascons) or visit http://solarsystem. nasa.gov/grail. The John J. McCarthy Observatory Galactic Observer New Milford High School Editorial Committee 388 Danbury Road Managing Editor New Milford, CT 06776 Bill Cloutier Phone/Voice: (860) 210-4117 Production & Design Phone/Fax: (860) 354-1595 www.mccarthyobservatory.org Allan Ostergren Website Development JJMO Staff Marc Polansky It is through their efforts that the McCarthy Observatory Technical Support has established itself as a significant educational and Bob Lambert recreational resource within the western Connecticut Dr. Parker Moreland community. Steve Barone Jim Johnstone Colin Campbell Carly KleinStern Dennis Cartolano Bob Lambert Mike Chiarella Roger Moore Route Jeff Chodak Parker Moreland, PhD Bill Cloutier Allan Ostergren Cecilia Dietrich Marc Polansky Dirk Feather Joe Privitera Randy Fender Monty Robson Randy Finden Don Ross John Gebauer Gene Schilling Elaine Green Katie Shusdock Tina Hartzell Paul Woodell Tom Heydenburg Amy Ziffer In This Issue "OUT THE WINDOW ON YOUR LEFT" ............................... 4 SUNRISE AND SUNSET ...................................................... 13 MARE HUMBOLDTIANIUM AND THE NORTHEAST LIMB ......... 5 JUPITER AND ITS MOONS ................................................. 13 ONE YEAR IN SPACE ....................................................... 6 TRANSIT OF JUPITER'S RED SPOT .................................... -
The Moon Is a Harsh Chromatogram: the Most Strategic Knowledge Gap (Skg) at the Lunar Surface E
50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2019 (LPI Contrib. No. 2132) 2766.pdf THE MOON IS A HARSH CHROMATOGRAM: THE MOST STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE GAP (SKG) AT THE LUNAR SURFACE E. Patrick, R. Blase, M. Libardoni, Southwest Research Institute®, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238 ([email protected]) Introduction: Data from analytical instruments de- a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) and ployed during multiple lunar missions, combined with revealed 97% of the composition in that mass channel laboratory results[1], suggest the regolith surface of the to be N2. Henderson et al.[5] also identified amino ac- Moon traps more volatiles in gas-surface interactions ids which were attributed to contamination, but results than is currently understood. We assert that the lunar from recent more sensitive LCMS and GCMS experi- surface behaves as a giant 3-D surface chromatogram, ments by Elsila et al.[1] found some amino acid and separating gas molecules by species as each wafts other organic signatures to be extraterrestrial in origin. across the regolith according to its mobility and ad- While these and other investigations suggest contami- sorption characteristics before eventually becoming nation from the Apollo spacecraft as a likely source for trapped. Herein we present supporting evicence for this a number of observed signatures[1,2,4,5], what is not claim. explained is the nature of the trapping mechanism for In gas chromatography (GC), components of a the N2 feature in 10086, and demonstrates gas retention sample are separated within a column according to from a gas that, under most circumstances, exhibits no their individual partitioning coefficients and by such retention at temperatures around 300 K[3]. -
Lunar Orbiter Ii
NASA CONTRACTOR NASA CR-883 REPORT LUNAR ORBITER II Photographic Mission Summary Prepared by THE BOEING COMPANY Seattle, Wash. for Langley Research Center NATIONAl AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION • WASHINGTON, D. C. • OCTOBER 1967 THE CRATER COPERNICUS - Photo taken by NASA-Boeing Lunar Orbiter II, November 23, 1966,00:05:42 GMT, from a distance of 150 miles. NASA CR-883 LUNAR ORBITER II Photographic Mission Summary Distribution of this report is provided in the interest of information exchange. Responsibility for the contents resides in the author or organization that prepared it. Issued by Originator as Document No. D2-100752-1 Prepared under Contract No. NAS 1-3800 by THE BOEING COMPANY Seattle, Wash. for Langley Research Center NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION For sole by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information Springfield, Virginia 22151 - CFSTI price $3.00 CONTENTS Page No. 1.0 LUNAR ORBITER II MISSION SUMMARY 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION 4 1.1.1 Program Description 4 1.1.2 Program Management 5 1.1.3 Program Objectives 6 1.1.3.1 Mission II Objectives 6 1.1.4 Mission Design 8 1.1.5 Flight Vehicle Description 12 1.2 LAUNCH PREPARATION AND OPERATIONS 19 1.2.1 Launch Vehicle Preparation 19 1.2.2 Spacecraft Preparation 21 1.2.3 Launch Countdown 21 1.2.4 Launch Phase 22 1.2.4.1 Flight Vehicle Performance 22 1.2.5 Data Acquisition 24 1.3 MISSION OPERATIONS 29 1.3.1 Mission Profile 29 1.3.2 Spacecraft Performance 31 1.3.2.1 Photo Subsystem Performance 32 1.3.2.2 Power Subsystem Performance 34 1.3.2.3 Communications -
Spacecraft Deliberately Crashed on the Lunar Surface
A Summary of Human History on the Moon Only One of These Footprints is Protected The narrative of human history on the Moon represents the dawn of our evolution into a spacefaring species. The landing sites - hard, soft and crewed - are the ultimate example of universal human heritage; a true memorial to human ingenuity and accomplishment. They mark humankind’s greatest technological achievements, and they are the first archaeological sites with human activity that are not on Earth. We believe our cultural heritage in outer space, including our first Moonprints, deserves to be protected the same way we protect our first bipedal footsteps in Laetoli, Tanzania. Credit: John Reader/Science Photo Library Luna 2 is the first human-made object to impact our Moon. 2 September 1959: First Human Object Impacts the Moon On 12 September 1959, a rocket launched from Earth carrying a 390 kg spacecraft headed to the Moon. Luna 2 flew through space for more than 30 hours before releasing a bright orange cloud of sodium gas which both allowed scientists to track the spacecraft and provided data on the behavior of gas in space. On 14 September 1959, Luna 2 crash-landed on the Moon, as did part of the rocket that carried the spacecraft there. These were the first items humans placed on an extraterrestrial surface. Ever. Luna 2 carried a sphere, like the one pictured here, covered with medallions stamped with the emblem of the Soviet Union and the year. When Luna 2 impacted the Moon, the sphere was ejected and the medallions were scattered across the lunar Credit: Patrick Pelletier surface where they remain, undisturbed, to this day. -
Photographs Written Historical and Descriptive
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, MISSILE ASSEMBLY HAER FL-8-B BUILDING AE HAER FL-8-B (John F. Kennedy Space Center, Hanger AE) Cape Canaveral Brevard County Florida PHOTOGRAPHS WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior 100 Alabama St. NW Atlanta, GA 30303 HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, MISSILE ASSEMBLY BUILDING AE (Hangar AE) HAER NO. FL-8-B Location: Hangar Road, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Industrial Area, Brevard County, Florida. USGS Cape Canaveral, Florida, Quadrangle. Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: E 540610 N 3151547, Zone 17, NAD 1983. Date of Construction: 1959 Present Owner: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Present Use: Home to NASA’s Launch Services Program (LSP) and the Launch Vehicle Data Center (LVDC). The LVDC allows engineers to monitor telemetry data during unmanned rocket launches. Significance: Missile Assembly Building AE, commonly called Hangar AE, is nationally significant as the telemetry station for NASA KSC’s unmanned Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) program. Since 1961, the building has been the principal facility for monitoring telemetry communications data during ELV launches and until 1995 it processed scientifically significant ELV satellite payloads. Still in operation, Hangar AE is essential to the continuing mission and success of NASA’s unmanned rocket launch program at KSC. It is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion A in the area of Space Exploration as Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) original Mission Control Center for its program of unmanned launch missions and under Criterion C as a contributing resource in the CCAFS Industrial Area Historic District. -
Dsc Pub Edited
1968 93) few craters, much like the mare sites, Surveyor 7 although the general area was rougher. About Nation: U.S. (43) 21 hours after landing, ground controllers Objective(s): lunar soft-landing fired a pyrotechnic charge to drop the alpha- Spacecraft: Surveyor-G scattering instrument on the lunar surface. Spacecraft Mass: 1,040.1 kg When the instrument failed to move, con- Mission Design and Management: NASA JPL trollers used the robot arm to force it down. Launch Vehicle: Atlas-Centaur (AC-15 / Atlas The scoop on the arm was used numerous 3C no. 5903C / Centaur D-1A) times for picking up soil, digging trenches, Launch Date and Time: 7 January 1968 / and conducting at least sixteen surface- 06:30:00 UT bearing tests. Apart from taking 21,274 pho- Launch Site: ETR / launch complex 36A tographs (many of them in stereo), Surveyor Scientific Instruments: 7 also served as a target for Earth-based 1) imaging system lasers (of 1-watt power) to accurately 2) alpha-scattering instrument measure the distance between Earth and the 3) surface sampler Moon. Although it was successfully reacti- 4) footpad magnet vated after the lunar night, Surveyor 7 Results: Since Surveyors 1, 3, 5, and 6 success- finally shut down on 21 February 1968. In fully fulfilled requirements in support of total, the five successful Surveyors returned Apollo, NASA opted to use the last remaining more than 87,000 photos of the lunar surface Surveyor for a purely scientific mission out- and demonstrated the feasibility of soft- side of exploring a potential landing site for landing a spacecraft on the lunar surface. -
Water on the Moon, III. Volatiles & Activity
Water on The Moon, III. Volatiles & Activity Arlin Crotts (Columbia University) For centuries some scientists have argued that there is activity on the Moon (or water, as recounted in Parts I & II), while others have thought the Moon is simply a dead, inactive world. [1] The question comes in several forms: is there a detectable atmosphere? Does the surface of the Moon change? What causes interior seismic activity? From a more modern viewpoint, we now know that as much carbon monoxide as water was excavated during the LCROSS impact, as detailed in Part I, and a comparable amount of other volatiles were found. At one time the Moon outgassed prodigious amounts of water and hydrogen in volcanic fire fountains, but released similar amounts of volatile sulfur (or SO2), and presumably large amounts of carbon dioxide or monoxide, if theory is to be believed. So water on the Moon is associated with other gases. Astronomers have agreed for centuries that there is no firm evidence for “weather” on the Moon visible from Earth, and little evidence of thick atmosphere. [2] How would one detect the Moon’s atmosphere from Earth? An obvious means is atmospheric refraction. As you watch the Sun set, its image is displaced by Earth’s atmospheric refraction at the horizon from the position it would have if there were no atmosphere, by roughly 0.6 degree (a bit more than the Sun’s angular diameter). On the Moon, any atmosphere would cause an analogous effect for a star passing behind the Moon during an occultation (multiplied by two since the light travels both into and out of the lunar atmosphere). -
Smart Landing Technology for Lunar/Planetary Exploration
IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering (IOSR-JCE) e-ISSN: 2278-0661, p-ISSN: 2278-8727, Volume 18, Issue 2, Ver. I (Mar-Apr. 2016), PP 85-90 www.iosrjournals.org Smart GNC Scheme for Autonomous Planetary Landing Ibrahim Mustafa Mehedi Center of Excellence in Intelligent Engineering Systems (CEIES) King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia AND Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia Abstract: The moon or other nearest planets are important destinations for space science and the smart landing is key technology for exploring the different planets without fail. Due to the long round-trip delay of communication with the earth a pinpoint autonomous GNC (guidance-navigation-control) system will be suitable for precise landing. Hazard avoidance is another key issue for a safe landing of future planetary missions. Employing sensors and computers onboard, the lander detects hazards in the landing region, makes quick decision considering mission constraints within exigent time limit and generate trajectory to provide necessary command for guidance module that transfers the lander to a suitable safe landing site. Real time onboard terrain mapping Navigation and Guidance is one which has received much attention in the frame of planetary exploration. The paper illustrates the investigations concerning soft landing for planetary exploration and finally proposed a smart and autonomous GNC scheme based on real time range image measurements technique using laser range finder. Keywords: Planetary landing; Autonomous; Hazard detection and avoidance I. Introduction A several lunar or planetary missions were accomplished in last few decades; the guidance-navigation- control (GNC) technology is getting more important than ever. -
Rocket Plume Interactions for NASA Landing Systems
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20200000979 2020-03-28T19:06:15+00:00Z National Aeronautics and Space Administration Rocket Plume Interactions for NASA Landing Systems December 4th 2019 Dr. Manish Mehta Aerosciences Branch NASA Marshall Space Flight Center marshallmarshall NASA – DLR Technical Interchange Meeting www.nasa.gov NASA Aerosciences Two main areas Agency makes it a commitment to fully investigate the performance and environments of their vehicles Rocket plume-induced environments Launch vehicle & upper-stage base flows Lander base flows Plume-induced flow separation (PIFS) Plume impingement Stage Separation Motors Attitude Control Motors Lander Leg Struts/Footpad Plume-Surface interactions (PSI) Erosion Physics Ejecta Dynamics Plume Physics Plume-induced aerodynamics Launch Vehicles Landing Systems Aerodynamic flow environments Earth crew vehicle re-entry flows Shuttle Orbiter Apollo Fuel/oxidizer tank, booster element earth re-entry External Tank, SRBs Launch vehicle ascent aerodynamic flow/heating Planetary spacecraft re-entry flows Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) 2 Concept – Plume Surface Interaction (PSI) PSI Definition: • Rocket plume-surface interaction (PSI) is a multi-phase and multi-system complex discipline that describes the lander environment due to the impingement of hot rocket exhaust on regolith of planetary bodies. This environment is characterized by the plume flow physics, cratering physics and ejecta dynamics. Problem Statement: • Extraterrestrial PSI cannot be accurately modeled with cold flow terrestrial testing. There are technical gaps in the physics modeling in the predictive simulation tools and ground tests. There are limited to no flight instrumentation dedicated to PSI. An accurate, validated predictive simulation capability is required to mitigate against lunar dust environments and to land large, heavy payloads. -
Apollo Over the Moon: a View from Orbit (Nasa Sp-362)
chl APOLLO OVER THE MOON: A VIEW FROM ORBIT (NASA SP-362) Chapter 1 - Introduction Harold Masursky, Farouk El-Baz, Frederick J. Doyle, and Leon J. Kosofsky [For a high resolution picture- click here] Objectives [1] Photography of the lunar surface was considered an important goal of the Apollo program by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The important objectives of Apollo photography were (1) to gather data pertaining to the topography and specific landmarks along the approach paths to the early Apollo landing sites; (2) to obtain high-resolution photographs of the landing sites and surrounding areas to plan lunar surface exploration, and to provide a basis for extrapolating the concentrated observations at the landing sites to nearby areas; and (3) to obtain photographs suitable for regional studies of the lunar geologic environment and the processes that act upon it. Through study of the photographs and all other arrays of information gathered by the Apollo and earlier lunar programs, we may develop an understanding of the evolution of the lunar crust. In this introductory chapter we describe how the Apollo photographic systems were selected and used; how the photographic mission plans were formulated and conducted; how part of the great mass of data is being analyzed and published; and, finally, we describe some of the scientific results. Historically most lunar atlases have used photointerpretive techniques to discuss the possible origins of the Moon's crust and its surface features. The ideas presented in this volume also rely on photointerpretation. However, many ideas are substantiated or expanded by information obtained from the huge arrays of supporting data gathered by Earth-based and orbital sensors, from experiments deployed on the lunar surface, and from studies made of the returned samples.