Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

LRO spacecraft, artist's rendering
Organisation NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Mission type Orbiter
Satellite of Earth's Moon
Orbits 30–70 km polar orbit, extended mission 30–216 km
Launch date 2009-06-18 21:32:00 UTC
Launch vehicle Atlas V 401 [1][2]
Launch site Space Launch Complex 41
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Mission duration one year, extended mission of up to five years
elapsed: 24 days
COSPAR ID LUNARRO
Home page http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Mass 1,846 kg
Power 1,850 W

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a robotic spacecraft launched by NASA, currently orbiting the Moon.[1] The unmanned launch of the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program occurred on June 18, 2009, the first United States mission to the Moon in over ten years.[2][3][4][5] LRO is the first mission of the United States's Vision for Space Exploration program. To successfully attain the goals of "The Vision", including human exploration of the Moon, LRO will orbit the Moon, survey lunar resources, and identify possible landing sites. The orbiting probe will be able to provide a 3-D map of the Moon's surface [4] and will provide some of the first images of Apollo equipment left on the Moon.[6]

The LRO Atlas V launch vehicle also carries the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), which is designed to detect water liberated when the launch vehicle's spent upper stage strikes a lunar crater. Together, LCROSS and LRO form the vanguard of the NASA Lunar Precursor Robotic Program's return to the Moon.[7]

The first images taken by the LRO were published on the July 2, 2009, aimed at the region in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium (Sea of Clouds). [8]

Contents

[edit] Mission

The Atlas V-Centaur rocket carrying the LRO and LCROSS.

Developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, LRO is a large and sophisticated spacecraft planned to fly in a lunar polar orbit for a nominal mission of one Earth year. An optional extended phase of the mission (up to five years) could provide a communications relay for other future ground lunar missions, such as a Moon lander or rover.

A preliminary design review was completed in February 2006 and the critical design review was completed in November 2006.[9] The LRO was shipped from Goddard Space Flight Center to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 11 February 2009.[10]

Launch was originally planned for October 2008. A later launch date was scheduled for June 17, 2009. The actual launch took place one day later, on June 18. The one day delay was to allow the Space Shuttle Endeavour a chance to lift off following a hydrogen fuel leak that canceled an earlier planned shuttle launch.

Areas of investigation will include:[11]

  • Selenodetic global topography.
  • Characterization of deep space radiation in lunar orbit.
  • The lunar polar regions, including possible water ice deposits and the lighting environment. The lunar polar regions experience temperatures of −223°C (−370°F) and may be able to hold water ice.[12]
  • High-resolution mapping (max 0.5 m) to assist in the selection and characterization of future landing sites "identify the ups and downs on the Moon, but also the slopes that are so critical to being able to land safely," said Mike Wargo, chief lunar scientist for NASA's exploration division.[13]

In addition, LRO will provide some of the first images of leftover Apollo equipment on the Moon.[6] The $583 million space mission comes equipped with a $504 million state of the art 4,200 pound (1,905 kg) LRO space probe and a $79 million LCROSS satellite.[14]

[edit] Onboard instruments

Onboard instruments
LRO during testing at NASA

The orbiter carries a complement of six instruments and one technology demonstration:

  • CRaTER—The primary goal of the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation is to characterize the global lunar radiation environment and its biological impacts.[15]
  • DLRE—The Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment will measure lunar surface thermal emission to provide essential information for future surface operations and exploration.[16]
  • LAMP—The Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project will peer into permanently shadowed craters in search of water ice, seeing by the ultraviolet light from stars and the interplanetary medium.[17]
  • LEND—The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector will provide measurements, create maps, and detect possible near-surface water ice deposits.[18]
  • LOLA—The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter investigation will provide a precise global lunar topographic model and geodetic grid.
  • LROC—The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera has been designed to address the measurement requirements of landing site certification and polar illumination.[19] LROC comprises a pair of narrow-angle cameras (NAC) and a single wide-angle camera (WAC). LROC will fly several times over the historic Apollo lunar landing sites; with the camera's high resolution, the lunar rovers and Lunar Module descent stages and their respective shadows will be clearly visible. It is expected that this photography will boost public acknowledgement of the validity of the landings, and further discredit Apollo conspiracy theories.[20]
  • Mini-RF—The Miniature Radio Frequency radar will demonstrate new lightweight SAR and communications technologies and locate potential water-ice.[21]

LRO's high-resolution mapping will show some of the larger pieces of equipment previously left on the Moon, and will return approximately 70–100 TB of image data.

The LRO will overfly everything that has ever landed on the Moon at 31 miles (50 km) altitude. It is hoped that new imagery of the Apollo 11 landing site will be taken in time for the 40th anniversary of the first human Moon landing.[citation needed]

[edit] Names to the Moon

The microchip panel containing 1.6 million names

Prior to the LRO's launch, NASA gave members of the public the opportunity to have their names placed in a microchip on the LRO. The deadline for this opportunity was July 31, 2008.[22] About 1.6 million names were submitted.[23]

[edit] LCROSS

LCROSS

Piggy-backing on the launch of LRO was the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), which is designed to watch as the launch vehicle's spent 2,300 pounds (1,043 kg) Centaur motor upper stage strikes a permanently shadowed region near the south pole of the Moon.[13][24] NASA expects the impact velocity will be over 9,000 km/h (5,600 mph). The ejecta plume will be in the order of 350 tons (317 metric tons) and rise 6 miles (10 km) from the surface.[25][26] It is hoped that spectral analysis of the resulting impact plume will help to confirm preliminary findings by the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions which hinted that there may be water ice in the permanently shadowed regions. LCROSS will fly through the debris plume and will then crash itself into a different part of the crater approximately four minutes after the Centaur impact.

The LCROSS instrument payload, provided by NASA Ames Research Center, includes cameras working at visible, near infrared, and mid infrared wavelengths, as well as visible light and near infrared spectrometers, a photometer, and a data handling unit.[27] Mission scientists estimate that the Centaur impact plume may be visible through amateur-class telescopes with apertures as small as 10 to 12 inches.[28] Both impacts will also be monitored by Earth-based observatories and possibly by other orbital assets.[13]

On June 23, 2009, four and a half days after launch, LCROSS and its attached Centaur booster rocket successfully completed a lunar swingby and entered into polar Earth orbit with a period of 37 days.[29] Lunar impact, after approximately three orbits, is projected on October 9, 2009 at 11:30 UT (7:30 a.m. EDT, 4:30 a.m. PDT), +/- 30 minutes. The exact target crater will be identified 30 days before impact and two weeks prior to impact the time will be known to within a second.[30]

The addition of the LCROSS payload came about after NASA changed LRO to a larger rocket from the Delta II. It was chosen from 19 other proposals.[31] LCROSS is being managed by NASA's Ames Research Center and was built by Northrop Grumman. The LCROSS preliminary design review was completed on 8 September 2006. The LCROSS mission passed its Mission Confirmation Review on 2 February 2007[32] and its Critical Design Review on 22 February 2007.[33] After assembly and testing at Ames, the instrument payload, provided by Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation,[34] was shipped to Northrop Grumman on 14 January 2008 for integration with the spacecraft.[35] LCROSS passed its review on February 12, 2009.

[edit] Mission progress

On 2009-06-23 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter entered into orbit around the Moon after a four and a half day journey from the Earth. When launched, the spacecraft was aimed at a point ahead of the Moon's position. A mid-course correction was required during the trip in order for the spacecraft to correctly enter Lunar orbit. Once the spacecraft reached the far side of the moon, its rocket motor was fired in order for it to be captured by the Moon's gravity into an elliptical lunar orbit.[36] A series of four rocket burns over the next four days was then used in order to put the satellite into its commissioning phase orbit. Each instrument is brought online and tested during the commissioning phase, which is planned to last for 60 days after launch. During its primary mission the spacecraft will orbit the Moon at about 50 kilometers (31 mi) for one year.

[edit] Imagery

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission photos
The spacecraft transmitted its first images of the lunar surface captured with the LROC that were activated on 2009-06-30. The area that has been imaged is a few kilometers east of Hell E crater in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium. The images were taken on a terminator, the dividing line between day and night. Each image shows a region that is 1400 meters wide with features as small as 3 meters wide discerned.[37][38][39]
The spacecraft transmitted its first images of the lunar surface captured with the LROC that were activated on 2009-06-30. The area that has been imaged is a few kilometers east of Hell E crater in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium. The images were taken on a terminator, the dividing line between day and night. Each image shows a region that is 1400 meters wide with features as small as 3 meters wide discerned.[37][38][39]  
This engineering frame was acquired with only one-tenth the number of lines of a standard 52,224-line NAC frame[jargon]. It is centered on an area east of Duluc M crater. From an altitude of 56 km, small features such as fresh craters and boulders can be readily identified. Many hills in the highlands exhibit this so-called "tree bark" or "elephant skin" texture. This NAC image has not been calibrated and the pixel values were stretched to enhance contrast. Image width is 2.83 km x 2.86 km; north is down. *Time: June 30 15:22:01 UTC 2009 *Orbit: 72 *Center Longitude: -5.63° *Center Latitude: -55.01° *Resolution: 56 cm/pixel *Mode: Native
This engineering frame was acquired with only one-tenth the number of lines of a standard 52,224-line NAC frame[jargon]. It is centered on an area east of Duluc M crater. From an altitude of 56 km, small features such as fresh craters and boulders can be readily identified. Many hills in the highlands exhibit this so-called "tree bark" or "elephant skin" texture. This NAC image has not been calibrated and the pixel values were stretched to enhance contrast. Image width is 2.83 km x 2.86 km; north is down.
  • Time: June 30 15:22:01 UTC 2009
  • Orbit: 72
  • Center Longitude: -5.63°
  • Center Latitude: -55.01°
  • Resolution: 56 cm/pixel
  • Mode: Native
 
A crater rim peeking out of the shadows, captured as LRO passed over the lunar terminator near the crater Goldschmidt D. *Time: Tue Jun 30 16:05:36 UTC 2009 *Orbit: 73 *Center Longitude: -9.35° *Center Latitude: 75.11° *Resolution: 373 cm/pixel *Mode: Summed
A crater rim peeking out of the shadows, captured as LRO passed over the lunar terminator near the crater Goldschmidt D.
  • Time: Tue Jun 30 16:05:36 UTC 2009
  • Orbit: 73
  • Center Longitude: -9.35°
  • Center Latitude: 75.11°
  • Resolution: 373 cm/pixel
  • Mode: Summed
 

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Launch". lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov. http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/launch.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-22. 
  2. ^ a b "Mission design and operation considerations for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter" (PDF). lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov. http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/library/IAC-07-C1_7_06.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  3. ^ "Lunar Spacecraft Launch to Moon!". Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter NASA's First step back to the Moon. NASA. June 18, 2009. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/main/index.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  4. ^ a b Dunn, Marcia (June 18, 2009). "NASA launches unmanned Moon shot, first in decade". Associated Press. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090618/ap_on_sc/us_sci_moon_rocket. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  5. ^ http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/launch.html
  6. ^ a b "Abandoned Spaceships". Science@NASA. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/11jul_lroc.htm. 
  7. ^ "Lunar Precursor Robotic Program". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esmd/acd/lunar.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  8. ^ "LRO's First Moon Images". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_20090702_a.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-03. 
  9. ^ "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Successfully Completes Critical Design Review". 2006-12-07. http://www.physorg.com/news84726444.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-06. 
  10. ^ "NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Spacecraft Ships South In Preparation For Launch". NASA. 2009-02-11. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27555. Retrieved on 2009-02-13. 
  11. ^ Savage, Donald; Gretchen Cook-Anderson (2004-12-22). "NASA Selects Investigations for Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter". NASA News. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/dec/HQ_04407_lunar_orbiter.html. Retrieved on 2006-05-18. 
  12. ^ "JPL Instrument Set for NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. SpaceRef.com. June 18, 2009. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=28483. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  13. ^ a b c Klotz, Irene (June 18, 2009). "NASA launches probes to scout the Moon". National Post. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1710280. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  14. ^ Harwood, William (June 18, 2009). "Atlas 5 rocket launches NASA Moon mission". Cnet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-10268241-239.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  15. ^ "Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation". Boston University. http://crater.bu.edu/. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  16. ^ "Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment". UCLA. http://www.moon.ucla.edu/. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  17. ^ "The Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project : Seeing in the Dark". Southwest Research Institute. http://www.boulder.swri.edu/lamp/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  18. ^ "Russian Made Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector". Russian Academy of Sciences. http://ps.iki.rssi.ru/lend_en.htm. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  19. ^ "The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera". Arizona State University. http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  20. ^ "Abandoned Spaceships". NASA. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/11jul_lroc.htm. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  21. ^ Yan (June 19, 2009). "Backgrounder: Introduction to LRO's instruments". Xinhua. China view. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/19/content_11564558.htm. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  22. ^ "Send your name to the Moon!". NASA. http://lro.jhuapl.edu/NameToMoon/. Retrieved on 2008-07-15. 
  23. ^ "1.6 Million Names to the Moon". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/million_names.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  24. ^ "Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite – LCROSS". NASA. http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/. 
  25. ^ Dunn, Marcia (June 18, 2009). "NASA launches unmanned Moon probe First such mission in a decade will use robotic probes to hunt for hidden ice". Associated Press. MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31424880/ns/technology_and_science-space/. Retrieved on 2009-06-18. 
  26. ^ "A Flash of Insight: LCROSS Mission Update". NASA. 2008-08-11. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/11aug_lcross.htm. 
  27. ^ "LCROSS Instrument Systems". NASA. http://www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/instruments.htm. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  28. ^ "LCROSS Observation Campaign". NASA. http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/observation.htm. 
  29. ^ "NASA Moon Impactor Successfully Completes Lunar Maneuver". NASA. June 23, 2009. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2009/09-68AR.html. 
  30. ^ "LCROSS Observation Campaign". NASA. http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/observation.htm. 
  31. ^ Tariq Malik (2006-04-10). "NASA Adds Moon Crashing Probes to LRO Mission". Space.com. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060410_lro_moon_crash.html. Retrieved on 2006-04-11. 
  32. ^ "NASA Moon-Impactor Mission Passes Major Review". www.nasa.gov. 2007-02-02. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/feb/HQ_0721_LCROSS.html. 
  33. ^ "Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite Passes Critical Design Review". www.moondaily.com. 2007-03-02. http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Lunar_Crater_Observation_and_Sensing_Satellite_Passes_Critical_Design_Review_999.html. 
  34. ^ "Ecliptic provides key elements of LCROSS payload". www.spaceflightnow.com. 2008-03-03. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0803/03ecliptic/. 
  35. ^ Jonas Dino. "NASA's Quest to Find Water on the Moon Moves Closer to Launch". NASA=2008-01-14. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2008/08_03AR.html. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 
  36. ^ "NASA Lunar Mission Successfully Enters Moon Orbit". NASA=2009-06-23. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/jun/HQ_09-144_LRO_moon_orbit.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-03. 
  37. ^ "NASA's LRO Spacecraft Sends First Lunar Images to Earth". NASA=2009-07-02. http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/jul/HQ_09-152_LROC_images.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-03. 
  38. ^ "LRO's First Moon Images". NASA=2009-07-02. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_20090702_a.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-03. 
  39. ^ "First pictures from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter". Spaceflightnow=2009-07-02. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av020/090702firstpix/. Retrieved on 2009-07-03. 

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