Lcross Talk By Dr. Kim Ennico

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 [email protected]

2009 marks the 400th anniversary of astronomy using a telescope 1609

Composite map derived from Thomas Harriot's Moon Drawings from 1609 and 1610. Galileo Project, http://galileo.rice.edu/

1609

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 I: Mission Overview Part II: “LCROSS Approach” Part III: Participatory Exploration

Part I: Mission Overview

LCROSS Background Lunar Poles Hydrogen Abundance

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

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

LCROSS Background (cont.) LP (1998) (40km)

Feldman, et al. (1998)

! Caution: low statistics

LEND (2009)

LEND (2009)

(smoothed to 90km)

(smoothed to 30km)

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

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

The LCROSS Experiment Topography & Permanent Shadowed Regions

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

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

The LCROSS Experiment Ejecta Curtain

Peter Schultz

The Impact -- How Does it Compare?

Ejecta Mass (Metric Tones)

400 LCROSS SMART-1 LP LCROSS S-S/C

350 300

LCROSS

250 200

LCROSS S-S/C

150 100

SMART-1 (hill side impact)

Kaguya

50 0 0

20

40

60

Impact Angle (degrees) SMART-1 (grazing impact)

LP

80

Lunar Impacts happen all the time...

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

The LCROSS Mission Concept 1. Launched stacked with LRO June 18, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

LRO’s LEND Early South Pole Data Set (Sept 2009)

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

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

Topography

LRO’s LOLA Altimetry: red: high, blue: low http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/south_pole.html

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

Part II: “LCROSS Approach”

Creativity Loves Constraints

Secondary Payload Approach LCROSS literally has hitched a ride to the moon!

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 upperCentaur 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

COTS-to-Flight Rapid Test Program

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

Propulsion System uses all commercially available parts

Star Tracker & IRU & ACS FSW similar to LRO’s arrangement NG Flight Software Heritage, using 10 year old code, just updated

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

NIR1 (1.4-1.7um)

Quarter-Earth at 560,000 km

NIR2 (0.9-1.7um)

MIR1 (6.0-10um)

MIR2 (6.0-13.5um)

STK Boresight Map

Oct 8th 6:50pm PDT

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

Coordinating Observations

Coordinating Observations

Backyard astronomer observations are coordinated through the LCROSS Google Group http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation?hl=en

Coordinating Observations

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?

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

Moon Phase, Waning Gibbous, illuminated fraction 68%

LCROSS Viewing Public Events

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

Come watch us! LCROSS will be a smashing success !

http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

Thank you! Here’s more links! 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