Friday, May 29, 2009

Narrowing LCROSS impact visibility

Based on the comments during the joint Lunar Reconnaissance Orbit (LRO) and Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) press briefing, last week, as well as comments made by LCROSS project scientist Tony Colaprette, we surmised the best we could an eventual likely impact in a permanently shadowed crater timed to occure at perigee, 47 minutes after the Moon transits its highest point in the skies over the central pacific

A favorable libration also, during those house, much of the South Pole and south by southwest areas of the Nearside points to a planed target in the lunar South Pole region, though this is by no means certain. Commitment can wait until LCROSS is directed toward its first steering encounter with the Earth. A southern approach, sending the Moon toward the North over the South Pole to bring the spacecraft back after 130 days heading for the lunar south.

Fortunately, as hinted strongly at the time of the first initial report, LPOD contributor and observational lunar observers with better minds have taken it from here,

Jim Mosher, a frequent contributor to the Lunar Picture of the Day, has calculated how the fundamentals of a range of impact possibilities for LCROSS should the present launch date of June 17 slip yes again, because of weather or mechanical holds:

He and others present them HERE.

No comments: