Analysis of the gravity gradiometer developed by Forward and Bell (1970) suggest that an accuracy, in the range 0.1 to 0.5 EU can be expected in a lunar orbiter application. This accuracy will allow gradient anomalies associated with mascons to be mapped with 1% accuracy and should reveal a great deal of new information about the lunar gravity field. The proposed experiment calls for putting such a gradiometer into a closely circular polar orbit at an average height of about 30 km above the lunar surface. This orbit allows the entire lunar surface to be covered in fourteen days, the gradiometer to be checked twice per revolution and results in successive passes above the lunar surface being spaced at about the resolution limit of about 30 km set both by the satellite altitude and instrumental integration time.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    A proposed lunar orbiting gravity gradiometer experiment.


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1972-04-01


    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English