LCROSS talk by Dr. Kim Ennico

transcript

Hitch-hiking to the Moon: LCROSS

Model, a novel space mission and

approach

A view from the bench by

Dr. Kimberly Ennico NASA Ames Research Center Kimberly.Ennico@nasa.gov

Composite map derived from Thomas Harriot's Moon Drawings from 1609 and 1610.

Galileo Project, http://galileo.rice.edu/

2009 marks the 400th anniversary of astronomy using a telescope

Galilei, Galileo. Sidereus nuncius (1610) Moon as it appeared to Galileo on Dec. 3, 1609,

in Padua, Italy. http://www.pacifier.com/~tpope/Moon_Page.htm

Part II: “LCROSS Approach”

Part III: Participatory Exploration

Part I: Mission Overview

Feldman, W.C. et al. Science 281, 1496-1500 (1998) Map courtesy of D. Lawrence, Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Lunar Poles Hydrogen Abundance

LCROSS will provide the most unambiguous data set to date as to the nature of lunar hydrogen

LCROSS Background

Feldman, et al. (1998)

LCROSS will provide the most unambiguous data set to date as to the nature of lunar hydrogen

LP (1998) (40km)

LEND (2009) (smoothed to 90km)

LEND (2009) (smoothed to 30km)

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/south_pole.html

LCROSS Background (cont.)

Caution: low statistics !

Margot, J.L. et al. Science 284,1658-1660 (1999)

Topography & Permanent Shadowed Regions

The LCROSS Experiment

LCROSS will perform the first “in-situ” study of a PSR

Ejecta Curtain

Peter Schultz

The LCROSS Experiment

0 20 40 60 80

Impact Angle (degrees)

)LCROSSSMART-1LPLCROSS S-S/C

SMART-1 (grazing impact) LP

LCROSS

LCROSS S-S/C

SMART-1 (hill side impact) Kaguya

The Impact -- How Does it Compare?

Ref: Montañés-Rodríguez, Pallé, & Goode, AJ, 134, 1145-1149 (2007) NASA Marshall Lunar Impact Monitoring Program http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/lunar/

Lunar Impacts happen all the time...

Launched stacked with LRO June 18, 2009

After Lunar swing-by, enter a 4 month cruise around Earth

October 9, 2009, target the Centaur Upper Stage and position S-S/C to fly 4 minutes behind

S-S/C observes impact, ejecta cloud and resulting crater, making measurements until impacting itself

The LCROSS Mission Concept

Impact: Fri Oct 9, 2009 11:31:30 UTC*

4:31:30* am PDT

Today, Sep 23, DOY 266, Mission Day 97. 15 days to Impact!

Semi-Finalists

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/candidate_craters_story.html

Cabeus A/Cabeus*

Lunar Prospector Data/Pixon Recovery LRO’s LEND Early South Pole Data Set

(Sept 2009)

Purple/Blue -- largest neutron depletions Contours are areas of permanent shadow

Purple/Blue -- highest water equivalent hydrogen Superimposed on Clementine topography

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/LCROSS_crater.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/south_pole.html

LRO’s LOLA Altimetry: red: high, blue: low

Topography

NMSU/MSFC Tortugas Observatory 24” 0.9-1.7um InGaAs Camera / Aug 11 07:25UTC

Part II: “LCROSS Approach”

Creativity Loves Constraints

LCROSS literally has hitched a ride to

the moon!

Secondary Payload Approach

LCROSS was required to meet a 28 month, ATP to launch, schedule, and to have minimal impact to LRO development and launch.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/multimedia/gallery/

Secondary Payload Approach

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/multimedia/gallery/

Innovative Approach

Re-use of upper-Centaur stage as the

2300kg impactor

Turn the ESPA ring into the actual spacecraft mechanical structure

Spare Tracking Data Relay System satellite propellant tank Petal-like panels fold up and

down during I&T,eased access

COTS-to-Flight Rapid Test Program

Leveraging Technology

Shares the same build-to-print avionics suite as LRO

NG Flight Software Heritage, using 10 year old code, just updated

Propulsion System uses all commercially available parts

Star Tracker & IRU & ACS FSW similar to LRO’s arrangement

http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/spacecraft.htm

Risk Management/Peer Reviews

NPR 7123.1

Fairing Separation Reveals LCROSS Spacecraft

Mission Day 5

Mission Day 44

Full Earth at 360,000km

Mission Day 60

Crescent Earth at 520,000km. Crescent Moon at 881,000 km.

Mission Day 92

NIR2 (0.9-1.7um) NIR1 (1.4-1.7um) MIR1 (6.0-10um) MIR2 (6.0-13.5um)

STK Boresight Map Quarter-Earth at 560,000 km

Oct 8th 6:50pm PDT

Oct 9th 3:40am-4:30am PDT

Part III: Participatory Exploration

Partners in Science

Where’s LCROSS?

Sky-map created using xephem-3.7.3 over Mountain View, CA Chose 05:00 UTC =10:00pm PDT previous day

Where’s LCROSS?

LCROSS was ~464,000km (lunar distance) from Earth. Seen as a 15th mag object.

Where’s LCROSS?

http://www.lewislearning.org/

Coordinating Observations

A Coordinated Professional Observation Campaign using Earth, Earth-Orbit and LRO has been part of the mission from the start.

http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation?hl=en

Backyard astronomer observations are coordinated through the LCROSS Google Group

Repository for images from amateur astronomers http://apps.nasa.gov/lcross/

Where will you be October 9th 430am?

I’ll be in the Science Operations Center (SOC) at NASA Ames

This was the scene of Lunar Swingby, June 23, ~2:30am.

October 9th, 430am PDT?

Moon Phase, Waning Gibbous, illuminated fraction 68%

Earth as viewed from Lunar South Pole. Area of visibility at time of impact is west of red line. Graphic Source: Project Pluto GUIDE 8.0

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/impact/event_index.html

Also NASA TV will have live feed 3:30-5:00 am PDT Oct 9th

LCROSS Viewing Public Events

Come watch us!

LCROSS will be a smashing success !

http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

Mission Site: http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

Project Site: http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov

Observing Tips: http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/observation/amateur.htm

http://apps.nasa.gov/lcross/about/

Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation/

NASA TV site real-time mission info during impact: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LCROSS_NASA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ Search on: LCROSS Lunar Impactor Mission

Thank you! Here’s more links!

LCROSS talk by Dr. Kim Ennico

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