[meteorite-list] Going Out With A Bang (SMART-1)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Jul 25 11:52:08 2006
Message-ID: <200607251549.IAA15486_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0607/24smart1/

Going out with a bang
Lunar orbiter to impact
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
July 24, 2006

A pioneering space probe has set a course for a dramatic end to its
three-year mission in September, when it will collide with the Moon in a
spectacular send-off for scientists to learn new information about the
lunar surface.

The innovative SMART-1 technology demonstrator is about to wrap up a
highly successful mission testing a range of new spacecraft concepts and
systems for potential use in the future. The Swedish-built craft also
conducted a broad science program using an array of instruments.

The end will come with a fiery crash into the Moon's nearside at about
0541 GMT (1:41 a.m. EDT) on September 3, according to the best data now
available. This time is only certain within seven hours.

The exact timing of the impact will slightly change as the probe's orbit
evolves in several upcoming trim maneuvers designed to fine-tune the
craft's approach. Five such burns are planned for July 27, July 28,
August 25, and on the final two days before SMART-1 hits the surface.

Scientists' "best guess" on the impact site puts it in the Moon's
mid-southern latitudes in a region known as the Lake of Excellence. The
location is believed to be of mostly volcanic origin and areas of
highlands and hills are also nearby. The area is also known as Lacus
Excellentiae in Latin.

At the time of impact, the Lake of Excellence will be shrouded in
darkness - only slightly illuminated by light from the Earth in a
phenomenon called "earthshine." The boundary between bright sunshine and
nighttime on the Moon will be located not far away, possibly allowing
material blown above the surface to reach altitudes high enough to be
lit by sunlight.

Ground controllers in Germany had to command a two-week series of
thruster firings to raise the low point of SMART-1's trek around the
Moon to push back the inevitable crash from about August 17 to the
current date of September 3. The plan also brought the forecasted impact
site into the direct view of scientists on the ground. If left
undisturbed, the 630-pound probe would have smacked into the far side of
the Moon facing away from Earth.

The set of orbit-raising maneuvers began June 19 and ended on July 2 -
about five days ahead of schedule.

Astronomers at observatories across the globe plan to try to see the
plume of debris ejected high above the lunar surface as SMART-1 drives
into the Moon. Organized groups at the European Southern Observatory in
Chile, Kitt Peak in Arizona, telescopes in Hawaii, and other locations
will attempt to spot the impact and its aftermath

The most favorable position for observing an on-time impact will be in
North and South America and Hawaii. There, the quarter Moon will be high
in the sky for prime viewing.

Larger telescopes could detect a flash at the moment of impact due to
vaporized hydrazine fuel. A few minutes later, dust and rocks thrown
high above the Moon might be seen. If the debris reaches an altitude of
over 12 miles, it could be lit by sunlight. If so, amateur astronomers
with smaller backyard telescopes could see the dust cloud backdropped by
the darker lunar surface.

"We are calling upon astronomical observatories and amateurs worldwide
to participate in a coordinated observation effort with SMART-1,
including the final orbits until impact," said European Space Agency
SMART-1 project scientist Bernard Foing.

Instruments to be operating during SMART-1's final hours include an
infrared spectrometer, an X-ray spectrometer, and a tiny camera to take
pictures of the Moon as the spacecraft passes near the surface.

The material propelled into sunlight will be closely analyzed to
determine details such as its mineral composition and physical
properties. Some of the debris could be excavated from underground
during SMART-1's crash, so scientists are especially interested in
learning about the sub-surface of the Moon.

During SMART-1's final orbits, the spacecraft should be speeding just a
few miles above the lunar surface. Accurate predictions of the expected
impact time and location are hard to produce because of unknown
variations in topography along the probe's trajectory over the Moon.
Officials say an unexpected mountain or cliff could cause the craft to
crash earlier than anticipated.

By early September, SMART-1 will complete one orbit of the Moon about
every five hours. With each orbit's closest approach to the surface, the
probe will slowly descend further.

Two low passes before the most likely impact time are also being closely
watched in case SMART-1 hits the Moon early. If the spacecraft strikes
the Moon at 0037 GMT, observers in South America and the Canary Islands
will garner the best view of the event. One orbit earlier - at 1933 GMT
on September 2 - astronomers based in Europe and Africa will have the
best chance to view the crash.

At first contact, engineers believe SMART-1 will gently glide down at a
vertical speed of just under 45 miles per hour, assuming the impact is
on a relatively flat surface. However, the craft will be traveling at a
horizontal clip of well over 4,000 miles per hour. The low-angle impact
could carve a crater up to three feet deep and a couple dozen feet wide.

The testbed carries an efficient ion engine that is fueled by a
relatively small amount of xenon fuel and electricity. Strides have also
been made in autonomous navigation through ground software that can
remotely track the craft's position and velocity through images of stars
taken by an on-board camera. Several communications tests through lasers
and higher radio frequencies were also carried out.

On the scientific front, SMART-1 has captured and returned up to 1,000
images per week during the past 15 months. Its miniature visible camera
is fitted with several color filters, so scientists were also able to
take several black-and-white pictures of the same area and artificially
create a color image.

The spacecraft's instruments have also been working on studies of lunar
composition and the search for ice hidden in the bottoms of polar
craters. SMART-1 has also collected evidence on the Moon's evolution and
origin. Extensive mapping operations have also been a priority for
planning in advance of future lunar missions.

SMART-1 has been circling the Moon since November 2004, almost 14 months
after launching aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in September 2003. The probe
took a circuitous route to the Moon, completing 332 orbits around Earth
while using its electric propulsion system to gently nudge it higher
before finally slipping into lunar orbit.

While transitioning to a stable science orbit a few months later,
SMART-1 was quickly granted a mission extension in February 2005 that
allowed the mission to continue operations through August of this year.

The mission is the first member of the European Space Agency's Small
Missions for Advanced Research in Technology program. SMART missions are
designed to test new technologies before employing them on more
expensive projects.
Received on Tue 25 Jul 2006 11:49:30 AM PDT