Moonlight: A New Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector Instrument

Garattini, M.; Dell’Agnello, S.; Currie, D. G.; Monache, G. O. Delle; Tibuzzi, M.; Patrizi, G.; Berardi, S.; Boni, A.; Cantone, C.; Itaglietta, N.; Lops, C.; Maiello, M.; Martini, M.; Vittori, R.; Bianco, G. Lo; March, Riccardo; Bellettini, Giovanni; Tauraso, Roberto

doi:10.14311/ap.2013.53.0821

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The performance in the IR is also very favorable for new monolithic CCRs, which are smaller but have a better ranging precision. A sparse network of large single corner cubes that could be resolved by a 100 ps laser pulse system would greatly improve the precision of LLR (Currie et al, ; Garattini et al, ). The use of the IR wavelength also increases the number of stations that could enter the LLR community.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging at Grasse Laser Ranging Station

Chabé

Courde

Torre

et al. 2020

Earth and Space Science

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Based on a fully passive space segment, the lunar laser ranging experiment is the last of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package to operate. Observations from the Grasse lunar laser ranging station have been made on a daily basis since the first echoes obtained in 1981. In this paper, first, we review the principle and the technical aspects of lunar laser ranging. We then give a brief summary of the progress made at the Grasse laser ranging facility (Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Calern Plateau on the French Riviera) since the first echoes. The current performance, driven by the use of an infrared wavelength laser, is presented in the last section for the year 2018.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging at Grasse Laser Ranging Station

Chabé

Courde

Torre

et al. 2020

Earth and Space Science

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“…In the future, a novel kind of reflector (a single corner-cube with a wide aperture) will be deployed on the Moon. It is expected to solve the problem for the present LLR reflector, namely, the spread of distances from different corner-cubes on the current lunar reflector array (Ciocci et al 2017;Turyshev et al 2013;Garattini et al 2013;Currie et al 2011). Its effect on the LLR and DLLR combination and the comparison between this new kind of reflector and the traditional LLR reflectors can be investigated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advantages of combining Lunar Laser Ranging and Differential Lunar Laser Ranging

Zhang,

Müller,

Biskupek

2023

A&A

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Context. Differential Lunar Laser Ranging (DLLR), which is planned to be conducted at Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the future, is a novel technique for tracking to the Moon. This technique has the potential to determine the orientation, rotation, and interior of the Moon much more accurately if the expected high accuracy of about 30 μm can be achieved. Aims. We focus on the benefit for the related parameters when only DLLR data with a short time span are available in the beginning. Methods. A short DLLR time series is not enough to provide an accurate lunar orbit, which has a negative effect on parameter estimation. Fortunately, Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) has been collecting data for a very long time span, which can be used to compensate this DLLR disadvantage. The combination of LLR data (over more than 50 yr) and simulated DLLR data over a relatively short time span (e.g., 5 or 10 yr) is used in different cases which include changing reflector baselines and extending data time span, along with adding more stations and “new” reflectors. Results. The results show that the estimated accuracies of the parameters related to the lunar orientation, rotation, and interior can be improved by about 5–100 times by simply adding 5-yr DLLR data in the combination. With LLR, further enhancing the parameter determination can be achieved by choosing appropriate reflector baselines. By investigating different scenarios of reflector baselines based on the present five reflectors on the Moon, we find that two crossing baselines with larger lengths offer the greatest advantage. A longer data time span is more helpful, rather than having more stations involved in the measurement within a shorter time span, assuming the amount of data in these two cases is the same. Furthermore, we evaluated the preferred position of an assumed new reflector.

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“…The advantages of 10 cm lunar CCRs were discussed by Martini et al (2012), Garattini et al (2013), Currie et al (2013), andCiocci et al (2017). The first 10 cm CCRs are now being prepared for delivery to the Moon.…”

Section: Far-field Diffraction Patternmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflectors: Velocity Aberration and Diffraction Pattern

et al. 2023

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The Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) retroreflector arrays have been on the Moon for half a century. During that time, the laser range uncertainty has improved by a factor of 100. Consequently, the science results have also improved by orders of magnitude. New retroreflectors are scheduled to go to the Moon on Commercial Lander Payload Services missions and the Lunar Geophysical Network mission. The new retroreflectors are single 10 cm corner cube retroreflectors that will not spread the laser pulse during reflection like the existing arrays do. Due to the orbital and Earth rotational speeds, there is a velocity aberration of 0.″8–1.″5 for existing stations. Larger corner cubes require attention to ensure that the spread of possible velocity aberration displacements is optimally contained within the diffraction pattern. The diffraction pattern can be changed by making one or more of the rear dihedral angles slightly different from 90°. Improvements in the equipment at the LLR stations and improvements in the data analysis software are also desirable. Future possibilities are described.

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Moonlight: A New Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector Instrument

Cited by 5 publications

References 5 publications

Recent Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging at Grasse Laser Ranging Station

Recent Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging at Grasse Laser Ranging Station

Advantages of combining Lunar Laser Ranging and Differential Lunar Laser Ranging

Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflectors: Velocity Aberration and Diffraction Pattern

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