LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) Observation Campaign: Strategies, Implementation, and Lessons Learned

J L Heldmann ,Yutaka Hayano,Andrew W Stephens,Katherine C Roth,Reiko Furusho,Richard M Mcdermid,Robert F Ackermann,Kosuke Kurosawa,Hirotomo Noda,David Goldstein,Naruhisa Takatoh,Lawrence Ong,Ryosuke Nakamura,William C Barott,Junichi Haruyama,Toshihiko Kadono,Al Conrad,Tetsuharu Fuse,Mitsuru Sôma,Vidhya Vaitheeswaran,Imke De Pater,Hideyo Kawakita,Robert M Suggs,Dallan Porter,Hiroshi Terada,J Jedadiah Rembold,Keith Marach,Yasuhito Sekine,Michael S P Kelley ,Hong Peng ,A Colaprete ,K.b Crawford ,E V Ryan ,Hong Suh Yim ,Mark A Skinner ,J J Puschell ,N Okamura ,Young Jun Choi ,Scott M Taylor ,H K Moon ,A D Storrs ,Samantha Blair ,David Acton ,T R Geballe ,Dolores Coulson ,Steven P James ,Eon−Chang Sung ,Josephine Gibson ,W H Ryan ,A Matulonis ,Tomohiko Sekiguchi ,Brian Walls ,Jesse Ball ,D H Wooden ,Seiji Sugita ,M A Disanti ,R J Rudy ,P G Lucey ,P R Backus ,F Vilas ,Charles Miller ,David Harker ,Philip M Hinz ,R Mcmillan ,Morag Ann Hastie ,Jill Tarter ,S A Gregory ,N J Chanover ,John Rayner ,Vanessa P Bailey ,R W Russell ,William J Welch ,T Hamura ,Russell Dehart ,Ryan Hamilton ,Shawn Callahan ,Daryl L Kim ,J R Forster ,C E Woodward ,David J Gutierrez ,Michael A Long ,G R Harp ,M W Buie ,Chadwick A Trujillo ,Duk Hang Lee ,Jun Ihi Watanabe ,E F Young

doi:10.1007/s11214-011-9759-y

Abstract

NASA’s LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) mission was designed to explore the nature of previously detected enhanced levels of hydrogen near the lunar poles. The LCROSS mission impacted the spent upper stage of the launch vehicle into a permanently shadowed region of the lunar surface to create an ejecta plume. The resultant impact crater and plume were then observed by the LCROSS Shepherding Spacecraft as well as a cadre of telescopes on the Earth and in space to determine the nature of the materials contained within the permanently shadowed region. The Shepherding Spacecraft then became a second impactor which was also observed by multiple assets.

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