Targets for LRO |
Targets for LRO |
Apr 6 2007, 09:41 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 172 Joined: 17-March 06 Member No.: 709 |
You can imagine this to be a companion thread to the one requesting suggestions
for MRO targets on Mars. The LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) is set to launch in a little over a year from now. There was to a be a site selection workshop in May 2007, next month, but I see now that it has been cancelled. Therefore, it appears that it is up to us, the UMSF Community to take up the baton and help NASA out. It was done for New Horizons at Jupiter and was very productive. So, what are the sites that you would like to see imaged at 0.5 meter resolution by LROC, LRO's High-Resolution camera? My first suggestion would be to re-photograph the Surveyor 1 landing site to compare it with the images obtained by Lunar Orbiter 3. My second suggestion would be to photograph the Surveyor 6 landing area. This should image S-6 itself, but even more interesting, it may capture images of Surveyor 4, which should be only a mile or so away. This would help to determine whatever happened to S-4, which abruptly stopped transmitting just short of touchdown. Another Phil |
|
|
Jun 19 2009, 03:43 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 447 Joined: 1-July 05 From: New York City Member No.: 424 |
I've read that it will take a couple of months to fine tune the orbit.
How soon after that can we expect some high resolution pictures of an Apollo landing site? (I realize that the scientific value isn't so high; I'm just eager to see them.) TTT |
|
|
Jun 19 2009, 04:02 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3652 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
How soon after that can we expect some high resolution pictures of an Apollo landing site? I read somewhere they will be trying to capture an image of the Apollo 11 landing site in time for the 40th anniversary. -------------------- |
|
|
Jul 8 2009, 10:27 AM
Post
#4
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1465 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Columbus OH USA Member No.: 13 |
I read somewhere they will be trying to capture an image of the Apollo 11 landing site in time for the 40th anniversary. According to http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/whereislro/ LRO is currently traversing longitude 71E and 109W in its orbit. Since its longitude moves westward about one degree every two-hour orbit, it should fly pretty close to the Apollo 11 landing site (at 23E) in about 71 - 23 = 48 orbits or about 4 days. Could it happen? Joe -------------------- |
|
|
Jul 8 2009, 10:36 AM
Post
#5
|
|
The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Could it happen? Hmmm... let me think... 40th anniversary coming up... Constellation floundering... public support for a "Return To The Moon" sorely lacking... conspiracy theorists insisting we never went to the Moon in the first place... a science-friendly but budget-reviewing new President to impress.... I'm guessing "yes". -------------------- |
|
|
Jul 8 2009, 11:12 AM
Post
#6
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3652 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
I'm guessing that even if it's taken, it won't be released until the actual anniversary date, probably on the day of the landing. Maximum PR impact etc.
-------------------- |
|
|
Jul 8 2009, 12:16 PM
Post
#7
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1465 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Columbus OH USA Member No.: 13 |
I'm guessing that even if it's taken, it won't be released until the actual anniversary date, probably on the day of the landing. Maximum PR impact etc. I wonder what the PR impact of such an image would be though, outside the enthusiast ranks. What would it show? At 50cm/pixel at best (and probably more like 1m/pixel) it's not like much detail on the LEM platform (diameter 5m) or whatever would be resolved, right? People might say, "where are the footprints?" 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. -------------------- |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 31st October 2024 - 11:21 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |