Future missions to the moon should include a detailed high-resolution global gravity survey from a low (15-30 km) polar orbiting spacecraft. The use of gravity gradiometer instruments on board the spacecraft will give higher-resolution data at lower total mission cost than the present Doppler tracking technique. Simulations show that although a three axis gradiometer system is preferred, and can even be used to estimate spacecraft attitude and altitude variation, a properly oriented single rotating gravity gradiometer can be used to resolve closely spaced mascons in both the along-track and cross-track directions.


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    Title :

    Future lunar gravity measurements


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1980-06-01


    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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