LCROSS en route Options

[climber]

I'm going to have to write a book one day about all the backroom happenings

Oh yes, PLEASE do it. This is the kind of stories I'm badly looking forward to read.
I realise that we, in UMSF, are very pleased when a PI is given words in the forum, but YOU are also inside... and on all UM missions!!!
Thanks for your so valuable inputs.

[stevesliva]

I'm going to have to write a book one day about all the backroom happenings

Cassini status reports do a good job of just saying it like it is. It often leaves me befuddled, but this is pretty clear:

Saturday, Aug. 29 (DOY 241):

Due to ongoing issues with the LCROSS spacecraft, it was requested that Cassini give up the beginning of two DSN tracks on DOY 241 and 243. For DOY 241, DSN schedulers were able to obtain a short DSS-55 track to maintain the full OTM-215 uplink window. On DOY-243, the decision was made - with the concurrence of project management - to accept the science data loss. This will result in approximately 45 MB of data that will not be seen on the ground due to the loss of DSS-65 track time.

...We can see at least one of the actions.

[Paolo]

Just announced: impact in Cabeus A

[Hungry4info]

Quick question regarding DSN time between Cassini and LCROSS. Can't Cassini just transmit the data at another time?

[elakdawalla]

Anybody see any graphics online anywhere? I've looked at NASA, ARC, and LCROSS sites and come up empty.

[ugordan]

FWIW, this post over at the NSF.com forum has an image of the "best pre-LRO, Lunar Prospector neutron data" showing the location of the selected site. Unfortunately, I cannot access the referenced paper, maybe others will have more luck.

[John Moore]

Cabeus A crater location...the impacts should be visible for some of us...WOOT

Image: (Left) Shaded relief map; (Middle and Right) Lunar Orbiter views; (Inset) Cabeus A crater region. North up, West left.

See NASA story

-----------------------
John
A Moon Site

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Phil Stooke]

"Quick question regarding DSN time between Cassini and LCROSS. Can't Cassini just transmit the data at another time?"

No, it gets written over by new data. Only the highest priority data is protected from that.

Phil

[Ron Hobbs]

The above link doesn't work for me; try this one:

LCROSS Reveals Target

There is a labeled telescopic image of the South Pole:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/385735m...SS_medium-1.jpg


A little thought please - do not put large images straight into a thread - Admin

[belleraphon1]

For those who missed the briefing here it is on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9RAWPBoi3I

I had planned to watch it but work got in the way.

Craig

[eoincampbell]

Thank you for posting that very informative press conference,
my question would be - is the final target permanently shadowed ?

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

For those hoping to see the impact; here're the Moon phases for October 2009:
http://www.moonconnection.com/moon-october-2009.phtml

A cadre of professional astronomers using many of the Earth's most capable observatories is helping maximize the scientific return from the LCROSS impacts. These observatories include the Infrared Telescope Facility and Keck telescope in Hawaii; the Magdalena Ridge and Apache Ridge Observatories in New Mexico and the MMT Observatory in Arizona; the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope; and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, among others.
I'm also looking forward to what images amateur astronomers will come up with. NASA plans a Citizens' science website for those...

[Tman]

Here a GIF animation of the Moon phase and the visibility/location of Cabeus A for "earthbound" watchers for October 09. Though, timing is bad

http://greuti.ch/astro/LCROSSimpact.gif

I tried to match this image as good as possible.

Telescope views: http://groups.google.com/group/lcross_obse...b/finders?hl=en

And wow: http://www.pbase.com/slammel/image/104360794/original

This post has been edited by Tman: Sep 13 2009, 06:00 PM

[Paolo]

Target crater switched from Cabeus A to Cabeus (proper)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/index.html

[John Moore]

I would think that they'll probably aim for the red-boxed region (right) as shown in the image below?

However, as to why Cabeus A was chosen initially is a puzzle as looking at the water equivalent hydrogen image (left), that while Cabeus A (Cabeus A1, really) has a much higher concentration (purple rectangle), its area is very much smaller to those of Cabeus and Cabeus B regions (oranges/reds) where the concentrations are smaller, but likely of successfully hitting them is better, isn't it?

John
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A Moon Site