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Targets for LRO
ilbasso
post Jul 8 2009, 06:18 PM
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It will be interesting to see those sites in the light of the setting sun - shadows will be going in the opposite direction from when we last saw those sites. Given the very low sun angles in the current LROC photos, I'm sure that the topography and any visible artifacts will be very dramatically lit.


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charborob
post Jul 8 2009, 08:46 PM
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If I am not mistaken, the NAC on LRO takes images in very narrow stripes (3 km? wide). I guess it could easily miss the Apollo 11 site. I mean, it could image an area just to the East of the landing site on one orbit, and the area just to the West on the following orbit, unless the swaths overlap, of which I am not certain at near-equatorial latitudes. Can LROC be pointed a bit sideways, or is it allways pointing directly down?
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djellison
post Jul 8 2009, 10:45 PM
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LROC is bolted to LRO, so, like MRO with HiRISE, to image off-nadir you have to command the spacecraft to cant over one direction or the other. I would fully expect them to be able to not only successfully target any known landing site, but to nail it pretty much dead centre.
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mcaplinger
post Jul 8 2009, 11:02 PM
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QUOTE (djellison @ Jul 8 2009, 02:45 PM) *
I would fully expect them to be able to not only successfully target any known landing site, but to nail it pretty much dead centre.

There are always map uncertainties, but in the case of the Apollo landing sites the ALSEP laser retroreflectors allow very accurate knowledge of the site position in the Earth reference frame.

But I believe the spacing at the equator orbit to orbit is about 30 km, so slewing off-nadir would be required for arbitrary targets.


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Disclaimer: This post is based on public information only. Any opinions are my own.
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brellis
post Jul 9 2009, 10:03 PM
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Did LRO detect the "reddish hue" on the lunar surface during the penumbral eclipse on July 7th? PS blog
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floron
post Jul 10 2009, 12:09 AM
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QUOTE (jmknapp @ Jul 8 2009, 07:16 AM) *
Maybe Apollo 17 would be of more photographic interest? Since the rover traveled around quite a bit (35km total traverse), is it possible that its tracks would show up on the photo as discernible lines? It's at longitude 31E which should come up a bit quicker, this Saturday.


From the LRO blog: "Saturday NAC imaging is again planned with our first off-nadir slews to perform the requested targeting. " hmm. i wonder what target was being requested...?

http://lroupdate.blogspot.com/
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Ian R
post Jul 10 2009, 12:42 AM
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Just in case an attempt at imaging the the Apollo 17 landing site really is imminent, I thought I would post this mosaic I made a while ago from frames taken from the 16-mm ascent film shot just after pitch-over. As far as I'm aware, this is currently the best overhead view of the region where Challenger landed, and it would be interesting to compare this to the putative LRO view of the same area:

Attached Image


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jmknapp
post Jul 10 2009, 01:42 AM
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QUOTE (floron @ Jul 9 2009, 08:09 PM) *
From the LRO blog: "Saturday NAC imaging is again planned with our first off-nadir slews to perform the requested targeting. " hmm. i wonder what target was being requested...?

http://lroupdate.blogspot.com/


Maybe so! Off-nadir might make for an more artsy angle, plus it's a pretty hilly area compared to the A11 site. I was just looking on line for a broader view of the "Taurus Littrow" area & couldn't really find one, but here's a snapshot of an image from a book:


Apollo 17 "Challenger" landed in the flatter region among the smallish craters to the right. The command module "America" is in this photo, silhouetted against the base of the South Massif.


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floron
post Jul 10 2009, 04:00 AM
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perhaps they'll get some nice pics of the HOLLYWOOD signs... wink.gif


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charborob
post Jul 10 2009, 04:50 PM
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Roughly guessing based on the "Where is LRO?" page, I'd say that LRO will be passing above the Apollo 11 site on Saturday. Since LRO is in a 30x199 km orbit, it's altitude above Tranquillity base will be around 100 km. So we may expect something like 1m resolution?
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Guest_Zvezdichko_*
post Jul 10 2009, 06:39 PM
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I also think that an attempt is possible to be made if not tomorrow, in the next few days. Next week NASA is celebrating the anniversary. It'll be a huge PR for the agency.
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charborob
post Jul 10 2009, 06:51 PM
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QUOTE (Zvezdichko @ Jul 10 2009, 01:39 PM) *
I also think that an attempt is possible to be made if not tomorrow, in the next few days. Next week NASA is celebrating the anniversary. It'll be a huge PR for the agency.

Except that if they don't succeed in imaging the Apollo 11 site on Saturday, the next opportunity will be in about 4 weeks, when the ground track crosses the area again.
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Guest_Zvezdichko_*
post Jul 10 2009, 06:54 PM
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Yes, but we had six Apollo landings, we still have opportunities.
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jmknapp
post Jul 10 2009, 06:54 PM
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QUOTE (charborob @ Jul 10 2009, 02:51 PM) *
Except that if they don't succeed in imaging the Apollo 11 site on Saturday, the next opportunity will be in about 4 weeks, when the ground track crosses the area again.


Wouldn't it be two weeks, when the other side of the orbit (ascending side?) swings around?


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Guest_Zvezdichko_*
post Jul 10 2009, 07:05 PM
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QUOTE (jmknapp @ Jul 10 2009, 06:54 PM) *
Wouldn't it be two weeks, when the other side of the orbit (ascending side?) swings around?


And when the place will be in total darkness.
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