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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15

Earth Orbit Raise Design for the ARTEMIS Mission

ARTEMIS is a mission to send two spacecraft from Earth orbit to libration orbits around the Moon Lagrange points and then into lunar orbit. Lunar flybys were used early in the mission to send the spacecraft into low-energy lunar transfers which were designed libration orbits for minimal deltaV. ARTEMIS began by raising the Earth orbits of each spacecraft to achieve the planned lunar flybys. Spacecraft conguration and operation constraints made the Earth orbit raise phase of the mission a signicant mission design challenge by itself. This paper describes the process used to and trajectories that achieved mission goals and the resulting series of Earth orbits that culminated in successful lunar flybys.

lunar transfer↗

A Synthesis of VIIRS Solar and Lunar Calibrations

The NASA VIIRS Ocean Science Team (VOST) has developed two independent calibrations of the SNPP VIIRS moderate resolution reflective solar bands using solar diffuser and lunar observations through June 2013. Fits to the solar calibration time series show mean residuals per band of 0.078-0.10%. There are apparent residual lunar libration correlations in the lunar calibration time series that are not accounted for by the ROLO photometric model of the Moon. Fits to the lunar time series that account for residual librations show mean residuals per band of 0.071-0.17%. Comparison of the solar and lunar time series shows that the relative differences in the two calibrations are 0.12-0.31%. Relative uncertainties in the VIIRS solar and lunar calibration time series are comparable to those achieved for SeaWiFS, Aqua MODIS, and Terra MODIS. Intercomparison of the VIIRS lunar time series with those from SeaWiFS, Aqua MODIS, and Terra MODIS shows that the scatter in the VIIRS lunar observations is consistent with that observed for the heritage instruments. Based on these analyses, the VOST has derived a calibration lookup table for VIIRS ocean color data based on fits to the solar calibration time series.

Calibrations↗

Lunar Science

Lunar Laser Ranging will provide critical data to determine the initial composition of the Moon and the Earth-­Moon system. Specifically, LLR uniquely measures the properties of the lunar core via librations. LUNAR is advancing LLR: APOLLO recovery of Lunokhod 1, thus dramatically improving measurements of librations; Technology development of next generation retroreflectors; New drilling techniques. Dual-­use Low Frequency Radio arrays will constrain: Lunar ionosphere density via riometry; Nano-­size interplanetary dust particles responsible for surface weathering.

lunar laser ranging↗

Applications of Multi-Body Dynamical Environments: The ARTEMIS Transfer Trajectory Design

The application of forces in multi-body dynamical environments to pennit the transfer of spacecraft from Earth orbit to Sun-Earth weak stability regions and then return to the Earth-Moon libration (L1 and L2) orbits has been successfully accomplished for the first time. This demonstrated transfer is a positive step in the realization of a design process that can be used to transfer spacecraft with minimal Delta-V expenditures. Initialized using gravity assists to overcome fuel constraints; the ARTEMIS trajectory design has successfully placed two spacecraft into EarthMoon libration orbits by means of these applications.

Folta, David C.↗

ARTEMIS Mission Overview: From Concept to Operations

ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun) repurposed two spacecraft to extend their useful science (Angelopoulos, 2010) by moving them via lunar gravity assists from elliptical Earth orbits to L1 and L2 Earth-Moon libration orbits and then to lunar orbits by exploiting the Earth-Moon-Sun dynamical environment. This paper describes the complete design from conceptual plans using weak stability transfer options and lunar gravity assist to the implementation and operational support of the Earth-Moon libration and lunar orbits. The two spacecraft of the ARTEMIS mission will have just entered lunar orbit at this paper's presentation.

Folta, David↗

Validation of CERES Flight Model 5 In-Orbit Calibrations Using Lunar Observations

Scientific studies require radiation fluxes over the Earth to be accurate within 1% for shortwave fluxes and 0.5% for outgoing longwave fluxes. The validation of in-orbit instrument performance requires both stability in calibration source and also calibration corrections to compensate for instrument changes. The Moon offers an external source whose signal variance is predictable and non-degrading. CERES detectors register the signal output from the entire face of the Moon. Lunar observations performed by CERES Flight Models (FM) 1 through 4 have been successful in assisting validation of radiances to the required accuracy. CERES Flight Model 5 (FM-5) is on Suomi/NPP spacecraft, orbiting since October 2011. This paper uses lunar measurements to validate detector output of FM-5. These measurements are adjusted to remove orbital effects due to variations in distance between Moon and Sun, distance between the satellite and the Moon and lunar phase angle. These effects create a total variation in lunar irradiance of 20% in the total channel and 8% in the shortwave channel. The change in orientation of the Moon as seen by the detector is called libration and causes variations of about 1% of the irradiance. A consistent dataset spanning at least 2 years in length is required to remove variations due to libration. The major uncertainties remaining in the measurements are assumed to be due to changes of the spectral responses of the channels due to degradation of optical surfaces in orbit. The results demonstrate that lunar observations can be used to validate FM-5 measurements.

Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System↗

Trajectory Design Using a Dynamical Systems Approach With Application to Genesis

A number of missions have recently been proposed that aim to take advantage of the growing scientific interest in the region of space near libration points in the Sun-Earth system. In support of missions that include increasingly complex trajectories and incorporate libration point orbits, more efficient techniques and new philosophies for design must be considered.

Genesis↗

Analysis of the Approach Direction of the Human Landing System to a South Pole Landing Site Subject to Lighting and Communication Constraints

The NRHO used as the staging orbit for crewed missions to the lunar surface by the HLS remains nearly perpendicular to the Earth-Moon line of sight, however, due to the libration of the Moon the location of the South Pole is ever shifting beneath it. DTE communication as well as ground illumination conditions near the South Pole coincide with lunar libration, with approximately 2-week cycles of DTE communication and solar availability. Additionally, the constant shifting of the South Pole region with respect to the NRHO leads to variations in the nominal HLS approach path to the surface in order to maintain near in-plane alignment of the NRHO, LLO, and approach phase. Making adjustments to the nominal approach path to achieve desired communication and lighting conditions quickly raises in-space ∆V. This analysis compares the ∆V impact of several trajectory strategies that could be used to alter the HLS approach path.

HLS↗

Analysis of the Approach Direction of HLS to a South Pole Landing Site Subject to Lighting and Communication Constraints

The NRHO used as the staging orbit for crewed missions to the lunar surface by the HLS remains nearly perpendicular to the Earth-Moon line of sight, however, due to the libration of the Moon the location of the South Pole is ever shifting beneath it. DTE communication as well as ground illumination conditions near the South Pole coincide with lunar libration, with approximately 2-week cycles of DTE communication and solar availability. Additionally, the constant shifting of the South Pole region with respect to the NRHO leads to variations in the nominal HLS approach path to the surface in order to maintain near in-plane alignment of the NRHO, LLO, and approach phase. Making adjustments to the nominal approach path to achieve desired communication and lighting conditions quickly raises in-space ΔV. This analysis compares the ΔV impact of several trajectory strategies that could be used to alter the HLS approach path.

HLS↗

Trajectory Design Considerations for Lunar Surface to Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit Rendezvous

NASA’s Artemis program plans to use a 9:2 resonant southward Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) at the Earth-Moon’s L2 libration point to stage assets for a sustained lunar exploration campaign. This architecture includes the use of the Gateway space station positioned in this orbit. While the proximity operations in the NRHO are similar to field-free space dynamics, the far-field rendezvous aspect of the problem is more complicated. We analyze the key drivers of the ΔV performance of the far-field rendezvous problem from low lunar orbit to the Gateway. We find that lunar latitudinal libration is a driving factor to ΔV performance for surface ascent missions that rendezvous with the NRHO, and that transfer time from low lunar orbit to NRHO affects more aspects of the geometry and performance than expected from rendezvous in Keplerian orbits.

NRHO↗

Exploration of Spatial Chaotic Orbits Using Isolating Neighborhoods

Isolating blocks and isolating neighborhoods have previously been used to compute periodic and quasiperiodic orbits around the collinear libration points in the circular restricted three-body problem. Isolating neighborhoods may be used to further explore the boundary between the Lissajous and quasihalo orbits at en- ergies where the halo orbits have bifurcated from the Lyapunov orbits. A method to compute trajectories that are forward and backward asymptotic to the libration point invariant set using very small velocity corrections is developed here. The method is then used to compute representative trajectories within this region and characterize their behavior.

Lo, Martin W.↗

LABORATORY, VOLUME I, NUMBERS 7-10

Spectrum of lightning in the venus atmosphere. problems of selenodetic photogrammetry. drawings of lunar limb areas. topocentric librations.

LIBRATION↗

Satellite orbit studies

Earth-satellite orbits in resonance with tesseral perturbation, and motion near earth-moon libration point

TESSERAL HARMONICS↗