NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Tethered Lunar Subsatellites for Multipoint and Low Altitude MeasurementsThe difficulty in making global measurements in orbit close to planetary bodies (and in particular the Moon) seriously constrains our ability to collect crucial, high-resolution data. We describe a unique and groundbreaking approach using tethered subsatellites to make measurements arbitrarily close to planetary surfaces, particularly those with no atmosphere, and to determine altitude profiles of geophysical parameters. The approach is feasible with current technology, and the subsatellite could be as small as a CubeSat. The initial results of a feasibility study and mission design for a tethered lunar CubeSat indicate that it is achievable.
Document ID
20160010561
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Collier, Michael
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Vondrak, Richard R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hoyt, Robert P.
(Tethers Unltd., Inc. Bothell, WA, United States)
Mesarch, Michael A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Farrell, William M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Keller, John W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Clark, Pamela E.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Petro, Noah E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Hwang, Kyoung-Joo
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2016
Publication Date
August 4, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Acta Astronautica
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.
Volume: 128
e-ISSN: 0094-5765
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN35084
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG11PL02A
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Airless bodies
CubeSats
Tethers

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available