1 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Overview 4/13/2005 Craig Tooley

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 2 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/ Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) First Step in the Robotic Lunar Exploration Program LRO Objectives Characterization of the lunar radiation environment, biological impacts, and potential mitigation. Key aspects of this objective include determining the global radiation environment, investigating the capabilities of potential shielding materials, and validating deep space radiation prototype hardware and software. Develop a high resolution global, three dimensional geodetic grid of the Moon and provide the topography necessary for selecting future landing sites. Assess in detail the resources and environments of the Moon’s polar regions. High spatial resolution assessment of the Moon’s surface addressing elemental composition, mineralogy, and Regolith characteristics

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 3 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 Develop an understanding of the Moon in support of human exploration (hazards, topography, navigation, environs) Understand the current state and evolution of the volatiles (ice) and other resources in context Biological adaptation to lunar environment (radiation, gravitation, dust...) GEOLOGY Environs Prepare for Human Exploration When Where Form Amount Topography & Environments Polar Regions Human adaptation ICE ( Resources ) LRO Mission Overview Science and Exploration Objectives

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 4 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission LRO Payload Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) Measurement Investigation – LOLA will determine the global topography of the lunar surface at high resolution, measure landing site slopes and search for polar ices in shadowed regions. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) – LROC will acquire targeted images of the lunar surface capable of resolving small-scale features that could be landing site hazards, as well as wide-angle images at multiple wavelengths of the lunar poles to document changing illumination conditions and potential resources. Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) – LEND will map the flux of neutrons from the lunar surface to search for evidence of water ice and provide measurements of the space radiation environment which can be useful for future human exploration. Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment – Diviner will map the temperature of the entire lunar surface at 300 meter horizontal scales to identify cold-traps and potential ice deposits. Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) – LAMP will observe the entire lunar surface in the far ultraviolet. LAMP will search for surface ices and frosts in the polar regions and provide images of permanently shadowed regions illuminated only by starlight. Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) – CRaTER will investigate the effect of galactic cosmic rays on tissue-equivalent plastics as a constraint on models of biological response to background space radiation. LRO Conceptual Design

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 5 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 LRO Mission Overview LRO Payload – Instruments & Data Products

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 6 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 LRO Addresses National Academy Science Priorities for the Moon (NRC Decadal, 2002) NRC Priority InvestigationNRC approachHow LRO treats Geodetic Topography (crustal evolution) Altimetry from orbit (with precision orbits) Global geodetic topography at ~100m scales (< 1m rms) Local Geologic Studies In 3D (geol. Evolution) Imaging, topography (at m scales) Sub-meter scale imaging with derived local topography Polar Volatile Inventory Spectroscopy and other from orbit Neutron and IR spectroscopy in 3D context + UV (frosts) Geophysical Network (interior evolution) In situ landed stations with seismometers Crustal structure to optimize siting and landing safety Global Mineralogical Mapping (crustal evolution) Orbital hyperspectral mapping 100m scale multispectral and 5km scale H mapping Targeted Studies to Calibrate Impact Flux (chronology) Imaging and in situ geochronology Sub-meter imaging of Apollo sites for flux validation and siting

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 7 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 LRO Project Initial Evolution RLE program and LRO project came into existence at GSFC nearly simultaneously with the ORDT held in March –ORDT defined prioritized exploration supporting measurements sets that became the basis of the payload AO Primary focus during Spring and Summer 2004 was performing technical definition necessary to release the AO and beginning the technical trade studies to define the mission. –Core spacecraft technical team brought on-board (part time) to develop enveloping requirements based on ORDT strawman payloads –Skeleton Program and Project infrastructure put in place During the Fall of 2004 the project and technical staffing began to ramp up as key conceptual studies were conducted. –Draft LRO requirements flowed down from NASA ESMD/SMD to be definitized based on the selected payload. Instrument payload selected December 22, –GSFC authorizing instrument development pre-contract cost expenditures beginning the week of January 10 th. Phase A/B contracts to be in place within 60 days. –Kick-off meeting held at GSFC January th Mission PDR planned for July 27, 2005

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 8 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 Launch on a Delta II class rocket into a direct insertion trajectory to the moon. On-board propulsion system used to capture at the moon, insert into and maintain 50 km altitude circular polar reconnaissance orbit. 1 year mission Orbiter is a 3-axis stabilized, nadir pointed spacecraft designed to operate continuously during the primary mission. LRO is designed to be capable of performing an extended mission of up to 4 additional years in a low maintenance orbit. LRO Mission Overview Flight Plan – Direct using 3-Stage ELV

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 9 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 LRO Mission Overview Orbiter Space Segment Design LRO Preliminary Configuration Preliminary System Block Diagram SOLAR ARRAY HGA INSTRUMENTS SERVICE MODULE Preliminary LRO Characteristics Mass1257 kg Power ( bus orbit ave.)600 W Measurement Data Volume 575 Gb/day

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 10 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 LRO Ground System and Mission Operations concepts are established LRO Mission Overview Ground System LRO Operations Synopsis 3x 45 min of Ka-band downlink/day Near continuous S-band Tracking 30min/orbit (near-side) Plan 1 command upload/day Orbit adjust required every ~ 4 weeks MOC routes Level 0 data to PI SOCs SOCs deliver to PDS MOC maintains short term archive LRO Ground Network Baseline Configuration 18m KA/S station at White Sands 2 X Upgraded S-Band Stations situated for continuous coverage Additional S-band STDN back-ups

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 11 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 Developing & Executing the Mission Project Organization

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 12 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 LRO Mission Schedule Key Near Term Events Project SRR/IAR – April 27-28, 2005 Mission Level 1 Baseline – Late May 05 Mission PDR – July 27, 05 IPDRs during prior month

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 13 Craig Tooley/431 3/28/2005 What’s Beyond LRO? Some options… Beyond LRO ?: Exploration of a potential resource: Validation of water ice and in situ biological sentinel experiments? Beyond LRO? : Follow-on to LRO, filling key gaps, including regolith characterization in 3D, far-side gravity, landing site hazards, Telecomm. infrastructure? Beyond LRO? : potential lunar experiment returns and demos?