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Extending Science from Lunar Laser RangingThe Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment has accumulated 50 years of range data of improving accuracy from ground stations to the laser retroreflector arrays (LRAs) on the lunar surface. The upcoming decade offers several opportunities to break new ground in data precision through the deployment of the next generation of single corner-cube lunar retroreflectors and active laser transponders. This is likely to expand the LLR station network. Lunar dynamical models and analysis tools have the potential to improve and fully exploit the long temporal baseline and precision allowed by millimetric LLR data. Some of the model limitations are outlined for future efforts. Differential observation techniques will help mitigate some of the primary limiting factors and reach unprecedented accuracy. Such observations and techniques may enable the detection of several subtle signatures required to understand the dynamics of the Earth- Moon system and the deep lunar interior. LLR model improvements would impact multi- disciplinary fields that include lunar and planetary science, Earth science, fundamental physics, celestial mechanics and ephemerides.
Document ID
20205004484
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
White Paper
Authors
Vishnu Viswanathan
(University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland, United States)
Erwan Mazarico
(Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, United States)
Stephen Merkowitz
(Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, United States)
James G Williams
(Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
Slava G Turyshev
(Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
Douglas G. Currie
(University of Maryland, College Park College Park, Maryland, United States)
Anton I. Ermakov
(University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California, United States)
Nicolas Rambaux ORCID
(Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Éphémérides Paris, France)
Agnes Fienga ORCID
(Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur Nice, France)
Clement Courde
(Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur Nice, France)
Julien Chabe
(Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur Nice, France)
Jean-Marie Torre
(Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur Nice, France)
Adrien Bourgoin
(University of Bologna Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
Ulrich Schreiber
(Technische Universitat Munchen Munchen, Germany)
Thomas M. Eubanks
(Space Initiatives Inc Palm Bay, FL)
Chensheng Wu
(University of Maryland, College Park College Park, Maryland, United States)
Daniele Dequal
(Italian Space Agency Matera, Italy)
Simone Dell Agnello
(National Institute for Nuclear Physics Rome, Italy)
Liliane Biskupek
(Leibniz University of Hannover Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany)
Jurgen Muller
(Leibniz University of Hannover Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany)
Sergei Kopeikin
(University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri, United States)
Date Acquired
July 15, 2020
Publication Date
July 15, 2020
Subject Category
Optics
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 811073.02.52.01.15.03
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Portions of document may include copyright protected material.
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