Next-Generation Geodesy at the Lunar South Pole: An Opportunity Enabled by the Artemis III Crew

Lunar retro-reflector arrays (LRAs) consisting of corner-cube reflectors (CCRs) placed on the nearside of the Moon during the Apollo era have demonstrated their longevity, cost-effectiveness, ease of deployment, and most importantly their interdisciplinary scientific impact through the ongoing lunar...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Viswanathan, Vishnu, Mazarico, Erwan, Merkowitz, Stephen, Sun, Xiaoli, Eubanks, Thomas Marshall, Smith, David Edmund
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: arXiv 2020
Subjects:
Geophysics physics.geo-ph
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics astro-ph.EP
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics astro-ph.IM
FOS Physical sciences
South Pole
South pole
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2009.03985
https://arxiv.org/abs/2009.03985
Description
Summary:Lunar retro-reflector arrays (LRAs) consisting of corner-cube reflectors (CCRs) placed on the nearside of the Moon during the Apollo era have demonstrated their longevity, cost-effectiveness, ease of deployment, and most importantly their interdisciplinary scientific impact through the ongoing lunar laser ranging (LLR) experiment. The human exploration of the lunar south polar region provides a unique opportunity to build on this legacy and contribute to the scientific return of the Artemis, for many decades to come. Here we outline the extended science objectives realizable with the deployment of geodetic tracking devices by the Artemis III crew. : 2 pages, 1 figure, A white paper submitted to the Artemis III Science Definition Team of NASA's Science Mission Directorate

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