LCROSS talk by Dr. Kim Ennico
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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]
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Dr. Ennico provides an overview of the LCROSS mission, a secondary payload that hitch-hiked aboard an Atlas V rocket with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on June 18th, 2009. LCROSS was a fast-paced mission concept that embraced risk and utilized off-the-shelf components, to meet a rigorous budget and schedule profile. Scientifically, LCROSS is looking to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permamently shadowed region on the moon. The impact location is a crater on the lunar south pole, where LCROSS will meet its spectacular end on Oct 9th, 2009. Dr. Ennico shares what she has learned on this very hands-on and engaging project and how this type of mission concept is an excellent training experience for spacecraft engineers. Dr. Ennico also touches on how we at NASA Ames have been expanding the concept of “participatory exploration,” with LCROSS as an example.
Transcript of 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]
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
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
1609
Part II: “LCROSS Approach”
Part III: Participatory Exploration
Part I: Mission Overview
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
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
0 20 40 60 80
Impact Angle (degrees)
Ejec
ta M
ass
(Met
ric T
ones
)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
1. 2.
3. 4.
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
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
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
http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_observation?hl=en
Backyard astronomer observations are coordinated through the LCROSS Google Group
Coordinating Observations
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?
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!
