Conference proceeding
Lunar magnetic field measurements with a cubesat
SENSORS AND SYSTEMS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS VI, Vol.8739, pp.873903-873903-26
Proceedings of SPIE
04/29/2013
DOI: 10.1117/12.2015666
Abstract
We have developed a mission concept that uses 3-unit cubesats to perform new measurements of lunar magnetic fields, less than 100 meters above the Moon's surface. The mission calls for sending the cubesats on impact trajectories to strongly magnetic regions on the surface, and transmitting measurements in real-time to a nearby spacecraft, or directly to the Earth, up until milliseconds before impact. The cubesats and their instruments are partly based on the NSF-funded CINEMA cubesat now in Earth orbit. Two methods of reaching the Moon as a secondary payload are discussed: 1) After launching into geostationary transfer orbit with a communication satellite, a small mother-ship travels into lunar orbit and releases the cubesats on impact trajectories, and 2) The cubesats travel to the Moon using their own propulsion after release into geosynchronous orbit. This latter version would also enable other near-Earth missions, such as constellations for studying magnetospheric processes, and observations of close-approaching asteroids.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Lunar magnetic field measurements with a cubesat
- Creators
- Ian Garrick-Bethell - Kyung Hee UniversityRobert P. Lin - University of California, BerkeleyHugo Sanchez - Ames Research CenterBelgacem A. Jaroux - Ames Research CenterManfred Bester - University of California, BerkeleyPatrick Brown - Imperial College LondonDaniel Cosgrove - University of California, BerkeleyMichele K. Dougherty - Imperial College LondonJasper S. Halekas - University of California, BerkeleyDoug Hemingway - Univ Calif Santa Cruz, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 USAPaulo C. Lozano - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyFrancois Martel - Espace Inc. (United States)Caleb W. Whitlock - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Contributors
- K D Pham (Editor)J L Cox (Editor)R T Howard (Editor)G Chen (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Publication Details
- SENSORS AND SYSTEMS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS VI, Vol.8739, pp.873903-873903-26
- Publisher
- Spie-Int Soc Optical Engineering
- Series
- Proceedings of SPIE
- DOI
- 10.1117/12.2015666
- ISSN
- 0277-786X
- eISSN
- 1996-756X
- Number of pages
- 26
- Grant note
- Hellman Family Foundation for a Hellman Fellowship ST/K001051/1 / STFC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Ministry of Education, Science & Technology (MEST), Republic of Korea
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/29/2013
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984428660402771
Metrics
1 Record Views