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At least 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Novel Shapes of Miscible Interfaces Observed

The dynamics of miscible displacements in a cylindrical tube are being investigated experimentally and numerically, with a view to understand the complex processes that occur, for example, in enhanced oil recovery, hydrology, and filtration. We have observed complex shapes of the interface between two liquids that mix with each other when the less viscous liquid is displaced by the more viscous one in a tube. A less viscous fluid that displaces a more viscous fluid is known to propagate in the form of a "finger," and a flight experiment proposed by Maxworthy et al. to investigate the miscible-interface dynamics is currently being developed by NASA. From the current theory of miscible displacements, which was developed for a porous medium satisfying Darcy's law, it can be shown that in the absence of gravity the interface between the fluids is destabilized and thus susceptible to fingering only when a more viscous fluid is displaced by a less viscous one. Therefore, if the interface is initially flat and the more viscous fluid displaces the less viscous fluid, the interface ought to be stable and remain flat. However, numerical simulations by Chen and Meiburg for such displacement in a cylindrical tube show that the interface is unstable and a finger of the more viscous fluid is indeed formed. Preliminary experiments performed at the NASA Glenn Research Center show that not only can fingering occur when the more viscous fluid displaces a less viscous one in a cylindrical tube, but also that under certain conditions the advancing finger achieves a sinuous or snakelike shape. These experiments were performed using silicone oils in a vertical pipette of small diameter. In the initial configuration, the more viscous fluid rested on top of the less viscous one, and the interface was nominally flat. A dye was added to the upper liquid for ease of observation of the interface between the fluids. The flow was initiated by draining the lower fluid from the bottom of the pipette, at speeds less than 0.1 mm/sec.

Balasubramaniam, Ramaswamy↗
NASA NTRS1993

Design of a Low Gravity Simulator for Performing Non-Equilibrium Investigations near the Lambda Transition of ^4He

A design is presented of a low gravity simulator where a magnetic field gradient is employed to oppose the hydrostatic pressure effects of gravity. It appears feasible to reduce the effective gravity environment of the helium in the cell by about two orders of magnitude. The corresponding shift in transition temperature with vertical height would be reduced to 12.7 nK/cm. Methods for instrumenting the simulator to perform high resolution investigations of non-equilibrium phenomena near the lambda point are presented. The advantages of using a low gravity simulator in searching for the predicted change in character of the superfluid transition from continuous to first order in the presence of a heat current are also discussed.

Israelsson, U. E.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Ambiguous Tilt and Translation Motion Cues in Astronauts after Space Flight

Adaptive changes during space flight in how the brain integrates vestibular cues with visual, proprioceptive, and somatosensory information can lead to impaired movement coordination, vertigo, spatial disorientation, and perceptual illusions following transitions between gravity levels. This joint ESA-NASA pre- and post-flight experiment is designed to examine both the physiological basis and operational implications for disorientation and tilt-translation disturbances in astronauts following short-duration space flights. The first specific aim is to examine the effects of stimulus frequency on adaptive changes in eye movements and motion perception during independent tilt and translation motion profiles. Roll motion is provided by a variable radius centrifuge. Pitch motion is provided by NASA's Tilt-Translation Sled in which the resultant gravitoinertial vector remains aligned with the body longitudinal axis during tilt motion (referred to as the Z-axis gravitoinertial or ZAG paradigm). We hypothesize that the adaptation of otolith-mediated responses to these stimuli will have specific frequency characteristics, being greatest in the mid-frequency range where there is a crossover of tilt and translation. The second specific aim is to employ a closed-loop nulling task in which subjects are tasked to use a joystick to null-out tilt motion disturbances on these two devices. The stimuli consist of random steps or sum-of-sinusoids stimuli, including the ZAG profiles on the Tilt-Translation Sled. We hypothesize that the ability to control tilt orientation will be compromised following space flight, with increased control errors corresponding to changes in self-motion perception. The third specific aim is to evaluate how sensory substitution aids can be used to improve manual control performance. During the closed-loop nulling task on both devices, small tactors placed around the torso vibrate according to the actual body tilt angle relative to gravity. We hypothesize that performance on the closed-loop tilt control task will be improved with this tactile display feedback of tilt orientation. The current plans include testing on eight crewmembers following Space Shuttle missions or short stay onboard the International Space Station. Measurements are obtained pre-flight at L-120 (plus or minus 30), L-90 (plus or minus 30), and L-30, (plus or minus 10) days and post-flight at R+0, R+1, R+2 or 3, R+4 or 5, and R+8 days. Pre-and post-flight testing (from R+1 on) is performed in the Neuroscience Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center on both the Tilt-Translation Device and a variable radius centrifuge. A second variable radius centrifuge, provided by DLR for another joint ESA-NASA project, has been installed at the Baseline Data Collection Facility at Kennedy Space Center to collect data immediately after landing. ZAG was initiated with STS-122/1E and the first post-flight testing will take place after STS-123/1JA landing.

Clement, G.↗
NASA NTRS2023

2023 Astrophotonics Roadmap: Pathways to Realizing Multi-Functional Integrated Astrophotonic Instruments

Photonic technologies offer numerous functionalities that can be used to realize astrophotonic instruments. The most spectacular example to date is the ESO Gravity instrument at the Very Large Telescope in Chile that combines the light-gathering power of four 8 m telescopes through a complex photonic interferometer. Fully integrated astrophotonic devices stand to offer critical advantages for instrument development, including extreme miniaturization when operating at the diffraction-limit, as well as integration, superior thermal and mechanical stabilization owing to the small footprint, and high replicability offering significant cost savings. Numerous astrophotonic technologies have been developed to address shortcomings of conventional instruments to date, including for example the development of photonic lanterns to convert from multimode inputs to single mode outputs, complex aperiodic fiber Bragg gratings to filter OH emission from the atmosphere, complex beam combiners to enable long baseline interferometry with for example, ESO Gravity, and laser frequency combs for high precision spectral calibration of spectrometers. Despite these successes, the facility implementation of photonic solutions in astronomical instrumentation is currently limited because of (1) low throughputs from coupling to fibers, coupling fibers to chips, propagation and bend losses, device losses, etc, (2) difficulties with scaling to large channel count devices needed for large bandwidths and high resolutions, and (3) efficient integration of photonics with detectors, to name a few. In this roadmap, we identify 24 key areas that need further development. We outline the challenges and advances needed across those areas covering design tools, simulation capabilities, fabrication processes, the need for entirely new components, integration and hybridization and the characterization of devices. To realize these advances the astrophotonics community will have to work cooperatively with industrial partners who have more advanced manufacturing capabilities. With the advances described herein, multi-functional integrated instruments will be realized leading to novel observing capabilities for both ground and space based platforms, enabling new scientific studies and discoveries.

astrophotonics↗
NASA NTRS2024

Safe Exploration: Sensorimotor Assessments for Early Extravehicular Activities

BACKGROUND: Artemis missions will require a new level of crew autonomy around periods of gravitational transition, where sensorimotor disturbances are at their highest. There is a need to define performance thresholds for key sensorimotor assessments that indicate when performance in early extravehicular activities (EVAs) might be impacted or unsafe. This panel presentation will discuss the development of sensorimotor assessments for determining crew preparedness of early EVAs by utilizing a novel portable sensorimotor disorientation analog and other spaceflight analogs. OVERVIEW: To define performance thresholds, a proposed set of sensorimotor assessment tasks must be validated under various spaceflight analogs. A Sensorimotor Disorientation Analog (SDA) was developed that could induce varying levels of disorientation through combined vestibular (galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS)) and proprioceptive (weighted chest, ankles, and wrists) disruptions. The SDA was first pilot tested using subjective feedback from previously flown astronauts to determine the levels of disorientation that mimic motor performance immediately (R+0) and +24 hours (R+1) postflight. A second study was performed using healthy non-astronaut ground subjects to validate the SDA levels by comparing to astronaut postflight data. The validated SDA was utilized in a third study to map performance in the proposed set of sensorimotor assessment tasks to operational tasks. The assessment tasks were defined based on lessons learned from Apollo and subject matter experts (e.g., flight surgeons) to include the following: 1) aid in progressive adaptation to the novel gravitational environment; 2) provide opportunities to develop strategies to recover from off-nominal body positions; and 3) mimic operational tasks such that crew can self-assess their potential ability to complete their missions. This presentation will conclude with a discussion on future validation studies of the proposed assessment tasks using other spaceflight analogs such as centrifugation and gravity offload systems. DISCUSSION: Exploration class missions will require crew to be able to self-assess and treat their sensorimotor dysfunction after gravity transitions, and in off-nominal situations they may be required to perform provocative, challenging tasks soon after landing. This panel presentation will discuss current and ongoing research strategies to address the sensorimotor risk on safe exploration during Artemis missions.

Sarah Moudy↗
DOE OSTI2023

Interactions of particles with “continuous spin” fields

Powerful general arguments allow only a few families of long-range interactions, exemplified by gauge field theories of electromagnetism and gravity. However, all of these arguments presuppose that massless fields have zero spin scale (Casimir invariant) and hence exactly boost invariant helicity. This misses the most general behavior compatible with Lorentz symmetry. We present a Lagrangian formalism describing interactions of matter particles with bosonic “continuous spin” fields with arbitrary spin scale ρ. Remarkably, physical observables are well approximated by familiar theories at frequencies larger than ρ, with calculable deviations at low frequencies and long distances. For example, we predict specific ρ-dependent modifications to the Lorentz force law and the Larmor formula, which lay the foundation for experimental tests of the photon’s spin scale. We also reproduce known soft radiation emission amplitudes for nonzero ρ. The particles’ effective matter currents are not fully localized to their worldlines when ρ ≠ 0, which motivates investigation of manifestly local completions of our theory. Our results also motivate the development of continuous spin analogues of gravity and non-Abelian gauge theories. Given the correspondence with familiar gauge theory in the small ρ limit, we conjecture that continuous spin particles may in fact mediate known long-range forces, with testable consequences.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1999

Combustion of Metals in Reduced-Gravity and Extraterrestrial Environment

As a result of the ongoing exploration of Mars and the several unmanned and manned missions planned for the future, increased attention has been given to the use of the natural resources of the planet for rocket propellant production and energy generation. Since the atmosphere of Mars consists of approximately 95% carbon dioxide (CO2), this gas is the resource of choice to be employed for these purposes. Unfortunately, CO2 is also a final product in most combustion reactions, requiring further processing to extract useful reactants such as carbon monoxide (CO), oxygen (O2), and hydrocarbons. An exception is the use Of CO2 as an oxidizer reacting directly with metal fuel. Since many metals burn vigorously with CO2, these may be used as an energy source and as propellants for an ascent/descent vehicle in sample-collection missions on Mars. In response to NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise to search for appropriate in-situ resource utilization techniques, this investigation will study the burning characteristics of promising metal/CO2 combinations. The use of reduced gravity is essential to eliminate the intrusive buoyant flows that plague the high-temperature metal reactions, to remove the destructive effect of gravity on the shape of molten metal samples, and to study the influence of radiative heat transfer from solid oxides undisturbed by natural convection. In studies with large metal specimens, the burning process is invariably influenced by strong convective currents that accelerate the reaction and shorten the burning times. Although these currents are nearly absent from small burning particles, the high emissivity of the flames, rapid reaction, small length scales, and intermittent explosions make the gathering of any useful information on burning rates and flame structure very difficult. This investigation has the ultimate goal of providing a careful probing of flame structure and dynamics by taking advantage of large, free-floating spherical metal samples and their corresponding long burning times available in reduced gravity. The first set of experiments has been conducted with magnesium (Mg) samples burning in the low-gravity environment generated by an aircraft flying parabolic trajectories. Owing to its high adiabatic flame temperature, oxidizer/fuel ratio, and heat per unit mass of fuel, as well as its low toxicity and low ignition temperature, Mg has been identified as a promising metal fuel with CO2 as oxidizer. The experimental effort is complemented by the development of a numerical model combining gas-phase chemical kinetics and transport mechanisms.

Abbud-Madrid, A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Axion anomalies

We study fermions derivatively coupled to axion-like or pseudoscalar fields, and show that the axial vector current of the fermions is not conserved in the limit where the fermion is massless. This apparent violation of the classical chiral symmetry is due to the background axion field. We compute the contributions to this anomalous Ward identity due to the pseudoscalar field alone, which arise in Minkowski space, as well as the effects due to an interaction with an external gravitational field. For the case of massless fermions, these interactions induce terms in the axion effective action that can be removed by the addition of local counterterms. We demonstrate that these counterterms are generated by the transformation of the path integral measure when transforming the theory from a form where the chiral symmetry is manifest to one where the symmetry is only apparent after using the classical equations of motion. We work perturbatively in Minkowski space and include the effects of interactions with a linearized gravitational field. Using the heat kernel method, we study the transformation properties of the path integral measure, and include the effects of non-linear gravity as well as interactions with gauge fields. Finally, we verify our relation by considering derivatively coupled fermions during pseudoscalar-driven inflation and computing the divergence of the axial current in de Sitter spacetime.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1998

Comparative Soot Diagnostics: 1 Year Report

The motivation for the Comparative Soot Diagnostics (CSD) experiment lies in the broad practical importance of understanding combustion generated particulate. Depending upon the circumstances, particulate matter can affect the durability and performance of combustion equipment, can be a pollutant, can be used to detect fires and, in the form of soot, can be the dominant source of radiant energy from flames. Bright sooty fires are desirable for efficient energy extraction in furnaces and power equipment. In contrast, soot-enhanced radiation is undesirable in many propulsion systems (e.g. jet engines). The non-buoyant structure of most flames of practical interest (turbulent) makes understanding of soot processes in low gravity flames important to our ability to predict fire behavior on earth. These studies also have direct applications to fire safety in human-crew spacecraft, since smoke is the indicator used for automated detection in current spacecraft. In addition, recent tests conducted on MIR showed that a candle in a truly quiescent spacecraft environment can burn for tens of minutes. Consequently, this test and many earlier tests have demonstrated that fires in spacecraft can be considered a credible risk. In anticipation of this risk, NASA has included fire detectors on Skylab, smoke detectors on the Space Shuttle (STS), and smoke detectors in the design for the International Space Station (ISS). In the CSD experiment, these smoke detectors were tested using, quasi-steady, low-gravity, particulate generating materials. Samples of the particulate were also obtained from these low-gravity sources. This experiment provides the first such measurements aimed toward understanding of soot processes here on earth and for the testing and design of advanced spacecraft smoke detection systems. This paper describes the operation and preliminary results of the CSD experiment which was was conducted in the Middeck Glovebox Facility (MGBX) on USMP-3. The objectives of CSD are to examine the particulate emission from a variety of pyrolyzing and combusting sources and to quantify the performance of several particulate-sensing diagnostic techniques. This paper presents the results of the microgravity portion of the CSD experiment. The results include the temporal response of the detectors and average sizes of the primary and aggregate particles captured on the thermophoretic probes. Complete assessment of the microgravity data and its combination with the normal-gravity data are still in process.

Urban, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Human Mars Mission: Transportation Assessment

The first Human Mars Mission is being projected to take place during the 2011 and 2013 / 2014 Mars opportunities. Two cargo flights will leave for Mars during the first opportunity, one to Mars orbit and the second to the surface, to prepare the descent transportation, landing site reconnaissance, and ascent vehicle and propellant for the crew arriving during the following opportunity. Each trans-Mars injection (TMI) stack will consist of a payload portion (currently coming in at 60 to 84 metric tonnes) and a TMI propulsion stage (currently coming in at 68-156 mt loaded with propellant) for performing the departure ΔVs for the appropriate Mars trajectories. Three different options are being considered for the system(s) that will comprise the TMI stage for each stack and will perform ΔVs that range from 848 meters/second (m/sec) to 4232 m/sec as required by the trajectory (with gravity losses and various performance margins included). Liquid oxygen (LOx) / liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) and LOx / liquid methane (LCH 4 ) are the propellant options for other transportation elements utilized for descent, ascent, and trans-Earth injection (TEI) in these Mars architectures. This paper will discuss the current applications of the necessary transportation stages to a human Mars mission and project the implications these various options have on an exploration visit to Mars.

Mars Missions↗
NASA NTRS1998

Adsorption Processes in Spacecraft Environmental Control and Life Support Systems

The environmental control and life support system on a spacecraft must maintain a safe and comfortable environment in which the crew can live and work. The system's functions include supplying the crew with oxygen and water as well as removing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and trace contaminants from cabin air. Although open-loop systems have been used in the past, logistics and safety factors of current and future missions in space make near-complete recycling of the cabin's air and water imperative. The recycling process may include separation and reduction of carbon dioxide, removal of trace gas-phase contaminants, recovery and purification of humidity condensate, purification and polishing of wastewater streams, and other processes. Several of these operations can be performed totally or in part by adsorption processes. These processes are frequently good candidates to perform separations and purifications in space due to their gravity independence, high reliability, relatively high energy efficiency, design flexibility, technological maturity, and regenerability. For these reasons, adsorption has historically played a key role in life support on U.S. and Russian piloted spacecraft. This article focuses on three current spacecraft life support applications that often use adsorption technology: gas-phase trace contaminant control, carbon dioxide removal from cabin air, and potable water recovery from waste streams. In each application, adsorption technology has been selected for use on the International Space Station. The requirements, science, and hardware for each of these applications are discussed. Eventually, human space exploration may lead to construction of planetary habitats. These habitats may provide additional opportunities for use of adsorption processes, such as control of greenhouse gas composition, and may have different requirements and resources available to them, such as gases present in the planetary atmosphere. Adsorption separation and purification processes can be expected to continue to fulfill environmental control and life support needs on future missions.

Bauman, Liese Dall↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modelling populations of kilonovae

Abstract The 2017 detection of a kilonova coincident with gravitational-wave emission has identified neutron star mergers as the major source of the heaviest elements and dramatically constrained alternative theories of gravity. Observing a population of such sources has the potential to transform cosmology, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. However, with only one confident multi-messenger detection currently available, modelling the diversity of signals expected from such a population requires improved theoretical understanding. In particular, models that are quick to evaluate and are calibrated with more detailed multi-physics simulations are needed to design observational strategies for kilonovae detection and to obtain rapid-response interpretations of new observations. We use grey-opacity models to construct populations of kilonovae, spanning ejecta parameters predicted by numerical simulations. Our modelling focuses on wavelengths relevant for upcoming optical surveys, such as the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). In these simulations, we implement heating rates that are based on nuclear reaction network calculations. We create a Gaussian-process emulator for kilonova grey opacities, calibrated with detailed radiative transfer simulations. Using recent fits to numerical relativity simulations, we predict how the ejecta parameters from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers shape the population of kilonovae, accounting for the viewing-angle dependence. Our simulated population of BNS mergers produce peak i-band absolute magnitudes of −20 ≤ Mi ≤ −11. A comparison with detailed radiative transfer calculations indicates that further improvements are needed to accurately reproduce spectral shapes over the full light curve evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1983

Satellite altimetry

Progress in satellite altimetry accuracy, together with geoid surface measurements, is reviewed, and future programs are outlined. The Skylab, Geos-3, and Seasat spacecraft all carried altimeters for observing ocean topography, wind speed, and wave height from space. Data were gathered on the geoid and gravity anomalies over ocean areas, leading to determinations of the mesoscale variability of the oceans and a preliminary data base on ocean circulation. Satellite altimeters are currently accurate to 2 cm over a period of several years, and radial errors have been reduced to 50 cm with Seasat. Mean sea surfaces are measured with decimeter accuracy, a level of precision expected for altimetry when improved Doppler tracking, laser tracking, and the introduction of a GPS-based tracking system are implemented. The Shuttle is regarded as a prime vehicle for testing new altimetry techniques.

Marsh, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A numerical simulation of magnetic reconnection and radiative cooling in line-tied current sheets

Radiative MHD equations are used for an optically thin plasma to carry out a numerical experiment related to the formation of 'postflare' loops. The numerical experiment starts with a current sheet that is in mechanical and thermal equilibrium but is unstable to both tearing-mode and thermal-condensation instabilities. The current sheet is line-tied at one end to a photospheric-like boundary and evolves asymmetrically. The effects of thermal conduction, resistivity variation, and gravity are ignored. In general, reconnection in the nonlinear stage of the tearing-mode instability can strongly affect the onset of condensations unless the radiative-cooling time scale is much smaller than the tearing-mode time scale. When the ambient plasma is less than 0.2, the reconnection enters a regime where the outflow from the reconnection region is supermagnetosonic with respect to the fast-mode wave speed. In the supermagnetosonic regime the most rapidly condensing regions occur downstream of a fast-mode shock that forms where the outflow impinges on closed loops attached to the photospheric-like boundary. A similar shock-induced condensation might occur during the formation of 'postflare' loops.

Forbes, T. G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Toward a global lunar resource survey - The Lunar Observer mission

The present status of NASA's Lunar Observer study effort at JPL is discussed in the context of an ongoing 20-year series of studies focused on defining a robotic, low-altitude, polar-orbiting mission to the moon. The primary emphasis of the discussion is a review of the various systems-level factors that drive the overall mission plan. Selected top-level project and science requirements are summarized and the current mission and science objectives are presented. A brief description of the candidate science instrument complement is included. Several significant orbital effects caused by the lunar gravity field are explained and the variety of trajectory and maneuver options considered for both getting to the moon and orbiting there are described. The baseline mission scenario that results is a single-spacecraft, single-launch scenario which includes a small subsatellite for lunar gravity field determination.

Ridenoure, Rex W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design of a welded joint for robotic, on-orbit assembly of space trusses

In the future, some spacecraft will be so large that they must be assembled on-orbit. These spacecraft will be used for such tasks as manned missions to Mars or used as orbiting platforms for monitoring the Earth or observing the universe. Some large spacecraft will probably consist of planar truss structures to which will be attached special purpose, self-contained modules. The modules will most likely be taken to orbit fully outfitted and ready for use in heavy-lift launch vehicles. The truss members will also similarly be taken to orbit, but most unassembled. The truss structures will need to be assembled robotically because of the high costs and risks of extra-vehicular activities. Some missions will involve very large loads. To date, very few structures of any kind have been constructed in space. Two relatively simple trusses were assembled in the Space Shuttle bay in late 1985. Here the development of a design of a welded joint for on-orbit, robotic truss assembly is described. Mechanical joints for this application have been considered previously. Welded joints have the advantage of allowing the truss members to carry fluids for active cooling or other purposes. In addition, welded joints can be made more efficient structurally than mechanical joints. Also, welded joints require little maintenance (will not shake loose), and have no slop which would cause the structure to shudder under load reversal. The disadvantages of welded joints are that a more sophisticated assembly robot is required, weld flaws may be difficult to detect on-orbit, the welding process is hazardous, and welding introduces contamination to the environment. In addition, welded joints provide less structural damping than do mechanical joints. Welding on-orbit was first investigated aboard a Soyuz-6 mission in 1969 and then during a Skylab electron beam welding experiment in 1973. A hand held electron beam welding apparatus is currently being prepared for use on the MIR space station. Presently, Marshall Space Flight Center is evaluating processes appropriate for on-orbit welding. A low gravity environment has been found to have very minor effects on the welding processes appropriate for this application. This is based on tests run on-orbit as well as low gravity environments achieved by flying aircraft in parabolic trajectories. It appears that a modified form of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) will be most appropriate for welding together structures on-oribt. The process has been modified to work in a vacuum by providing gas to the arc zone by means of a hollow tungsten electrode with special shielding. A commercial tube welding head has been successfully modified for use on-orbit with a gas leakage rate of approximately 2.5 liters/min. To develop as realistic a joint as possible, a specific truss structure was selected on which to base the design. The structure considered was based on the 120 foot diameter aerobrake tetrahedral truss structure. The truss members were assumed to consist of graphite/epoxy tubes. Also, it was assumed that the nodes were constructed of 2219-T87 aluminum alloy. The magnitude of the member load assumed for design purposes was 100 kips.

Rule, William K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Architecting a mission plan for Lunar Observer

The present status of NASA's Lunar Observer study effort at JPL is discussed in the context of an ongoing 20-year series of studies focused on defining a robotic, low-altitude, polar-orbiting mission to the moon. The primary emphasis of the discussion is a review of the various systems-level factors that drive the overall architecture of the mission plan. Selected top-level project and science requirements are summarized and the current mission and science objectives are presented. A brief description of the candidate science instrument complement is included. Several significant orbital effects caused by the lunar gravity field are explained and the variety of trajectory and maneuver options considered for both getting to the moon and orbiting there are described. Several candidate mission architectures are outlined and the mission plans chosen for future study are described. Two mission options result: a single-spacecraft, single-launch scenario, and a multiple-spacecraft, multiple-launch concept.

Ridenoure, Rex W.↗