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Menom, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Menom, P..

Hayabusa: Navigation Challenges for Earth Return

Hayabusa was a JAXA sample-return mission to Itokawa navigated, in part, by JPL personnel. Hayabusa survived several near mission-ending failures at Itokawa yet returned to Earth with an asteroid regolith sample on June 13, 2010. This paper describes NASA/JPL's participation in the Hayabusa mission during the last 100 days of its mission, wherein JPL provided tracking data and orbit determination, plus verification of maneuver design and entry, descent and landing.

Itokawa↗

Kaguya Orbit Determination from JPL

Selene (re-named 'Kaguya' after launch) is an unmanned mission to the Moon navigated, in part, by JPL personnel. Launched by an H-IIA rocket on September 14, 2007 from Tanegashima Space Center, Kaguya entered a high, Earth-centered phasing orbit with apogee near the radius of the Moon's orbit. After 19 days and two orbits of Earth, Kaguya entered lunar orbit. Over the next 2 weeks the spacecraft decreased its apolune altitude until reaching a circular, 100 kilometer altitude orbit. This paper describes NASA/JPL's participation in the JAXA/Kaguya mission during that 5 week period, wherein JPL provided tracking data and orbit determination support for Kaguya.

lunar navigation↗