Improving the geometry of Kaguya extended mission data through refined orbit determination using laser altimetry.

ABSTRACT: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Kaguya spacecraft carried a suite of instruments to map the Moon and its environment globally. During its extended mission, the average altitude was 50 km or lower, and Kaguya science products using these data hence have an increased spatial resolution. However, the geodetic position quality of these products is much worse than that of those acquired during the primary mission (at an altitude of 100 km) because of reduced radiometric tracking and frequent thrusting to maintain spacecraft attitude after the loss of momentum wheels. We have analyzed the Kaguya tracking data using gravity models based on the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, and by making use of a new data type based on laser altimeter data collected by K

SUBMITTER: Goossens S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7243822 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature