Fine-tuning Kaguya's Impact

Dr. Bernard H. Foing, executive director of the European Space Agency's International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) and project scientist for ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter is cautioning the larger community of astronomers and other observers that the Japanese orbiter Kaguya (SELENE 1) may come down earlier.

Others are less concerned. Jim Mosher, who has lead an online group rehearsing for the impact mission of LCROSS, now preparing for launch with the LRO, June 17, puts more faith in Kaguya flight directors at the Japanese space agency JAXA.

"The Japan lunar probe Kaguya, after a productive operational phase will conclude its scientific mission with a controlled impact on the lunar surface expected on June 10, 2009 at 18:30 GMT, on the Moon's Near Side, in a dark area at the eastern limb, lunar coordinates East 80, and South 64 degrees," Foing writes.

"The SMART-1 team has constructed mosaic maps of the Kaguya landing strip using survey images obtained by the SMART-1's AMIE camera." (Close up HERE.)

"The SMART-1 images shows the Kaguya final perilune orbits and impact site are within a very cratered ancient highland terrain. Because of the high topographic relief, will the spacecraft hit the Moon before the nominal time?"

“There is a possibility that the Kaguya impact would take place in fact about 2 or 4 hours before expected," writes Foing, "if the lunar crater rim indicated by SMART-1 is high enough to be on the way.

"Observers should be prepared for that."

“For SMART-1 we had to make a last small spacecraft maneuver just 3 days before impact”, wrote Foing, “in order to avoid a lunar crater rim and enforce the landing at the exact time we had announced, within the second."

“We have to analyze the lunar topography to determine the exact time of impact, and the slopes to determine whether the incidence will be grazing enough to have Kaguya bouncing on touchdown”, says Bernard Foing, “as was observed with SMART-1 hard landing. We hope that future data compared to SMART-1 maps will show the new elongated Kaguya crater and bouncing secondary debris.”

"You may, of course, have access to more current information than the general public," Mosher responded, but (as of this writing) the information on the Kaguya site is back to saying the impact is expected at 63°S, rather than 64°S, with an update expected at 01:00 UT on June 10.

"I believe that would put the impact on the north side of Gill D, rather than the south side that you are indicating on your attachments. (See the USGS map).

"It looks like the approach to the impact site will be from the south," Mosher wrote

(JAXA's Kaguya orbital tracker, HERE.) currently puts the spacecraft elevation at 0 km at 80.4°E/66.5°S at about 18:25 UT, and puts the spacecraft at 80.4°E/49.1°S (altitude -4 km) at 18:30 UT (the announced impact time).

"By suggesting Kaguya may hit the surface 2 or 4 hours earlier than announced, " Mosher wrote to Foing, "I presume you mean it may hit in the same general area on earlier orbits. Does this imply you think it may strike the crater or highland between Gill and Wexler U?"

See Map HERE.

"Finally, I notice the Kaguya team is soliciting observations by professional astronomers in their Jun. 5, 2009: Final operation week for KAGUYA" communication at, HERE.

"I have no idea if they have gotten any takers, nor what the expected magnitude of the flash may be, nor what the chances are that it might be hidden by terrain. As mentioned in an earlier post, there are unofficial finder charts for Earth-based observers available (HERE.)

"Perhaps JAXA will release better ones in their June 10th announcement at 01:00 UT?"

Japan's Kaguya to impact June 10

Swinging back north up the Farside, leaving Earth, Australia,
Malapert Mountain, Shackleton and the Lunar South Pole
behind, Japan's spectacularly successful first lunar orbiter
Kaguya returned this now-iconic HDTV image taken
(c) JAXA NHK Kaguya 040 November 2007

Dr. Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt said in reports the now-famous High Definition Television stills and videos returned from Japan's Kaguya (SELENE) lunar orbiter were the closest thing to being there he had experienced since "being there" in lunar orbit in 1972, on-board Apollo 17.

Yet this was only the beginning of the rich data sent back to JAXA, much of which has been shared with the world by JAXA, since Kaguya began orbiting the Moon in late 2007.

Only a week before the present "earliest" launch of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, however, Kaguya will be deorbited June 10.

"I am very sorry that, as I was stacked with many, many businesses," reported Junya Terazono by Email, early Thursday. "I could not send any information for these couple of months. Even during the time, Kaguya conducted survey (lower altitude). And today JAXA announced detailed information of (Kaguya) impact."

The estimated impact at 18:30 June 10 (UTC) is expected "around 80 degrees East and 63 degrees South latitude, south of Gill crater."

If on schedule, Kaguya's impact will not be visible from the Western Hemisphere.

At that moment the Moon will be 92 percent Waining Gibbous, 17.26 days into the next lunation, or three days past Full, rising locally around 10:45 PM. Just past sunset at the impact, site at around Five O'Clock" on the Moon's Nearside, within the darkened southwestern limb, Kaguya's ending may well be excellently placed for observers in Japan, all of whom deserve the world's gratitude for this historic mission.

From Lunar Pioneer

"Please look at the Kaguya project website often to obtain up-to-date information about the impact time and place as some reviews will be made through the future satellite operation."

As anticipation build ahead of the launch of LRO/LCROSS, hopefully on June 17, now might be an excellent time to review what accomplishments JAXA has been willing, so far, to share from this incredible mission. It is likely, with the help of Kaguya's twin sub-satellites, that the Japanese mission has mapped the true lunar dimensions for the first time, and deduced the Moon's elusive center of gravity within less than 100 meters.

The mission's lasar ranger using many millions more data points than ever before, delivered what is by far the most accurate topographical maps of the Moon ever produced. The first images of the interior of a permanently shadowed lunar polar crater, Shackleton abutting the South Pole.

But it will likely be for the high definition television, the virtual fly-throughs of Tycho and elsewhere that Kaguya will be remembered, most of which can be downloaded or viewed at what became a regular stop for "lunatics" everywhere since Kaguya's mission began.

Last HDTV from Kaguya

From Kaguya HDTV

Note: The above is nearly the last from Kaguya. We will be uploading some favorites to the linked album in coming days - Joel Raupe

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) would like to release the final still images taken by the onboard High Definition Television (HDTV) of the lunar explorer "KAGUYA" just prior to its maneuvered falling to the Moon.

The images are attached below. The KAGUYA was launched on September 14, 2007, and was controlled to be dropped to the Moon on June 11, 2009, as its mission was completed.

The series of continued shots was taken with an interval of about one minute by the HDTV while the KAGUYA was maneuvered to decrease its altitude toward the impact position (around GILL crater.)

We can see the approaching Moon surface as the KAGUYA went closer to it. After the final image, the KAGUYA moved into the shaded area to make its final landing, thus it was pitch dark while taking an image.

This is the very final image shooting of the Moon by the KAGUYA HDTV.

You can enjoy images taken by the KAGUYA HDTV through JAXA Digital Archives, the KAGUYA Image Gallery, and the JAXA channel on YouTube.

Our sincere thanks to Junya Terazono for endeavoring to continue to keep Lunatics throughout the world of the latest images and releases all during the recently ended Kaguya mission.

NHK Kaguya Archives & a Link to this Press Release.

The very final images (from JAXA) taken by telephoto HDTV
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/06/20090619_kaguya_hdtv_e.html#at

Spectacular new refinements to Kaguya laser altimeter maps have been released

Cropped to a much larger scale, just part of what was "terra incognita" of the lunar South Pole region of the Moon, from Earth's line of sight behind Malapert Mountain (center top, at 86 degrees south), the rim of South Pole Aitken Basin, most of which resides on the Far Side, and Shackleton, where Near Side longitudinal lines converge at 90 degrees South. Among other firsts Japan's first lunar orbiter, Kaguya (SELENE I) mapped the depths of permanently shaded Craters, likely cold traps for scarce volatiles, and even vitually-imaged the interior of Shackleton. All in all JAXA, and the other first-time lunar orbiters of ISRO and CNSA, have set quite an impressive standard for NASA's Lunar Reconassaince Orbiter (LRO) to surpass, after finally beginning its mission next month. JAXA released this astounding third refinement of Kaguya's laser altimeter topography May 28.

Kaguya Topography v. 3.5 far surpasses two earlier releases

Once again I'm in debt to Chuck Wood at Lunar Picture of the Day (LPOD). This time for alerting us to an update to the Kaguya (SELENE) Image Gallery, as always on the Japanese language site weeks before the same updates eventually make it to the English side of JAXA's tantalizing gallery.

It's not another HDTV image. It's a welcome third updated topography formulated from Kaguya's laser altimeter data gathered before its primary mission ended last December.

The first planet wide map was necessarily a little disappointing, of such large scale as to be exacting but of poorer resolution than the famous painted National Geographic wall map first released in March 1970, now hanging on my wall.

The second provided far greater detail and was made available in an appropriately huge .tiff file, ans representing data refined and many millions of data points. It was followed up with different projections showing definitive proof of Japan having located both the Moon's highest and lowest elevations. It's lowest was already known to be within the ancient South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, easily seen affecting the shape of the Moon's backside in beautifully projected clarity. And its highest elevation was not very far away, also on the Far Side, on the rim of Korolev, within a formation that, taken on the whole, might well be part of the outer rim of a "Mega-Basin impact event" predating SPA, perhaps even centered near the northwestern edge of Mare Tranquilitais and larger than the entire Near Side of the Moon.

As excitement grows over the hopefully pending launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) with its companion mission the LCROSS impactor with its sensing shepherding vehicle, news arrived that JAXA had set a date for deorbitng Kaguya, near Gill Crater on June 10, only a week before an Atlas V carries the LRO/LCROSS bus to orbit and Trans Lunar Injection. to begin their long tours.

This has distracted those of us who regularly check Kaguya's Japanese language Flash Gallery for early releases, but Chuck Wood kept his eye on the Ball. JAXA has now released more laser altimeter data in an even more refined was, enough image and data to require a large Adobe pdf. format.

What a beauty, all 13.8 megabytes of it, layered much like those long available from the Planetary Data System and the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute. It represents even further improvements on what Chuch Wood admits are presently the best topographic maps of the Moon ever made.

Since the end of it primary mission at the end of 2008, after more than a year orbiting the Moon at around 100 kilometers in altitude, Kaguya has been lowered to as close as 15 kilometers in perilune, where JAXA investigators announced hopes to improve on magnetometer data and our understanding of the lunar morphology refinded from the 1998-1999 Lunar Prospector mission, most of it decyphered after that amazing and relatively cheap orbiter was itself "deorbited" ot far from the Moon's South Pole in 1999.

Work by Halekas, Hood, and many, many others have since continued to refine Prospector's returned data and mapped in crustal magnetism, e.g., at Descartes and Gerasimov, sufficiently intense to stand-off solar wind, miniature bowshocks whose longevity, along that of their associated surface albedos, continues to baffle.

Kaguya, like India's Chandrayaan, provided us with a hint of how we can expect data to be delivered from LRO during the next year and beyond.

Corrections and refinements will improve upon early results, after much more work.

Meanwhile, we are also promised real-time availability of HiRes camera imagery, in much the same manner images from Cassini and the rovers Opportunity and Spirit, which should provide for plenty to digest while professionals create the kinds of product that will undoubtedly raise as many question as are answered, and past the life-time of the vehicle, just the camera-less Lunar Prospector continues to surprise, through hard work, a decade after its impact.

Kaguya has refined the long-elusive center of gravity of the Moon down to within two or three meters, and mapped the compex gravity to a resolution never seen.

Kaguya has found, with precision, the lowest elevations (within South Pole Aitken Basin) and the Moon's highest (near on the rim of Korolov) and these are are also pinpointed, on this new map, as are the locations of each of the Apollo landing sites.

In the context of all the other data examine in both Kaguya's and soon LRO's laser altimeter data, that cluster of landing sites is a stark seen as proof of how much of Earth's Moon was left unexplored at the cancelling of Apollo.

Add to the new and skillful refinements to Apollo orbital photography and mini-satellite data being painstakingly restored today, and the exceptional new information being tweeked from the forty-year-old Lunar Orbiter data, it is probably safe to say that, beginning with the humble Prospector the DOD's Clementine sensor experiments, we have learned, and are learning, more about the Moon today than at any time since the Apollo Era.

From Lunar Pioneer

Japan, China extend Lunar Missions

By Peter B. De Selding
Space News Staff Writer

Japanese and Chinese mission managers said their separate lunar orbiters, now halfway through yearlong missions, have performed flawlessly and are likely to be extended.

In presentations here March 26 to a meeting of the International Astronautical Federation, managers of Japan's Kaguya and China's Chang'e-1 programs said both programs are meeting their science objectives and their goals as pathfinders for future lunar landers in the middle of the next decade.

Susumu Sasaki, Kaguya project scientist at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, said both the main satellite and two smaller spacecraft jettisoned in lunar orbit for data-relay and gravity-field measurements have performed without a hitch.

Launched in September aboard a Japanese H-2A rocket on a yearlong mission, Kaguya and the two companion satellites are almost certain to have their mission extended by six months, Sasaki said. "The debate now is over lunar surface, or to leave it at around 100 kilometers," he said.

The data-relay satellite, Okina, is in an orbit with an apogee of 2,400 kilometers and a perigee of 100 kilometers. The Ouna gravity-field measurement satellite is in a 100-kilometer circular orbit inclined at 90 degrees, taking it over the lunar poles, as is the case with Kaguya. Kaguya weighed about 3,000 kilograms at launch. The two companion satellites weigh 50 kilograms each.

The Kaguya satellite carries a radar sounder capable of taking images up to 5,000 meters below the lunar surface with a resolution of 100 meters. The Okina data-relay satellite is used to beam Kaguya results to ground stations when Kaguya's orbit takes it over the far side of the Moon relative to Earth.

The mission also includes two high-definition cameras that have returned crystal-clear pictures of the lunar surface.

Sasaki said that all Kaguya science data will be released publicly in late 2009 — one year after the nominal 12-month mission concludes — even if Kaguya operations continue into 2009.
Sasaki said the success of Kaguya has given fresh impetus to the idea of launching one or two lunar landers around 2015, but he stressed that no budget commitments have been made for this.

The Chinese National Space Administration is in a similar situation following the early success of its Chang'e-1 satellite, launched in October aboard a Chinese Long March 3A rocket.
The 2,350-kilogram Chang'e-1, orbiting between 200 kilometers and 225 kilometers above the Moon's surface, is intended to be the first step in a three-stage Chinese lunar-exploration program that would include two robotic landers in the middle of the next decade and a sample-return mission around 2020.

Hao Xifan, deputy director of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Center, said Chang'e-1's platform and instruments have functioned without a glitch so far. The satellite is designed to take 3-D imagery of the lunar surface and analyze the lunar surface's composition. Chang'e-1, based on China's proven DFH-3 communications satellite platform, also is designed to test deep-space operations.

The European Space Agency (ESA), which has cooperated with China on science missions in the past, gave China detailed positioning and frequency-transmission information on ESA's Smart-1 lunar orbiter to permit Chinese lunar-program managers to test their own satellite-tracking stations in preparation for the Chang'e-1 mission.

ESA's Estrack satellite-tracking network, with stations in Australia and South America as well as in Europe, has been used for Chang'e-1. ESA officials have opened negotiations with China on a long-term cooperative effort in lunar exploration.

Chinese government officials in recent weeks have said that the success of Chang'e-1 puts the nation on track for a lunar lander mission in 2013. Hao said 2013-2015 remains feasible, but that the funding for such a mission has not been confirmed.

Read more HERE.

Improved Kaguya LIDAR topography

As his contribution for Wednesday, April 9, Chuck Wood, proprietor extraordinaire of the indispensable Lunar Picture of the Day (LPOD) brought to our attention yet another premier presentation first appearing on the Japanese language side of JAXA's Kaguya Picture Gallery. He entitled the large black and white rendering of the Moon's Near Side (which must be seen to be believed), "The Best Image Map of the Moon."

When Chuck Wood makes such a claim, as one of the few who knows all such a claim implies, pause to take notice. I did and was not disappointed. His full version of the above second deciphering of data from Kaguya's Terrain Camera is posted here. Reduced down to less than 400 px for this modest blogspot just does not do it justice.

It will eventually appear on the English language side of the Kaguya Picture Gallery of course, but that could be a week or more from now. The patient and alert follower of the Kaguya official image releases, now numbering nearly 400 (not including the videos) has known for some time the necessity JAXA labors under requires attention to public image releases in proper turn. It's only natural JAXA would update the Japanese side of the Gallery first.

Fortunately, we have Chuck Wood's network, including JAXA investigator Juna Terazono kind enough to alert the world when Kaguya science goes public, in Japanese first, with a new spectacular result.

From that site, it is easy and well worth it to download and take a gander at the latest revision to the Kaguya lunar topography, and you can easily do that here.

Because this is an appreciable update of the laser topography of both lunar hemispheres release in February, and accounting for the recent announcement from Kaguya project manager Yoshisada Takizawa that Kaguya was now operating an extended mission at much lower altitude in preparation for de-orbit later this year, Chuck indicates we can look forward to even greater improvements to this LIDAR topography as Kaguya carries on its data mining even as it maps crustal magnetic anomalies with the highest precision yet. Kaguya de-orbit and impact are presently slated no earlier than September.

Sources LPOD & JAXA

Kaguya refines our complex Moon

While awaiting the English language version of JAXA's official press release, the Japanese press release, including the Terrain Camera image below of the landing site has been brought to our attention by Junya Terazono.

He writes: As everyone already knows, Kaguya successfully impacted on the moon at 3:25 AM JST (June 11). Currently, only the press release in Japanese has been issued."

http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/06/20090611_kaguya_j.html

The summary of the press release:

* location: 65.5S, 80.4E, near Gill crater.
* [Fig.1] orbit information till the impact. The background is a topographic
map by Laser Altimeter (LALT) of Kaguya.
* [Fig.2] TC image (acquired in past days) of the impact site. The star
denotes the impact site.
* [Fig.3] Topographic map near the impact site by LALT.
* [Fig.4] Photograph of the Kaguya operation room at the moment of the impact.

Please wait for the official information until the English version of press release is issued by JAXA. Please check the site often: http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html

The princess went to the moon,
and our adventure continues.

Kaguya (SELENE 1), Japan's Five Star lunar orbiter, ends its two
year tour on the eastern limb of the Moon, June 10, 2009 at
1625 GMT (0325 JST) 65.5S, 80.4E, near Gill crater

IMPACT: As viewed from AAT, the Anglo-Australian
Telescope, A very momentary flash signals the successful
planned impact and end of Kaguya. The highland area still in
sunlight behind the approaching terminator separates Heimholtz
from the Gill crater group beyond.
Click on Image to enlarge.

"The impact of Kaguya on the Moon was successfully observed with IRIS2 on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. A bright impact flash was seen close to the predicted time. The attached image shows four frames around the impact time with the bright flash in the second frame, and also faintly visible in the third and fourth. The observations used a 2.3 micron narrow band filter, and are part of a time series of 1 second exposures with 0.6 seconds dead time between each frame." Observers: Jeremy Bailey and Steve Lee

Cross-section of the largest discontinuity of the lunar exterior, stretching from north of the equator on the Far Side of the Moon to beyond the South Pole and familiar southern mountains on the Near Side that make up part of the ragged rim of 4 billion-year-old South Pole-Aitken Basin.

Red cross, above Right marks the highest altitude on the Moon near Englehardt; Blue Cross lower left designates its lowest altitude, in the southern interior of Antoniadi Basin.

The full range of departures from mean lunar elevation, and forever invisible from Earth near the central meridian of the Moon's far side, Japan's Kaguya orbiter confirmed the Moon as a world of extremes.

In this section from JAXA's third refinement (available in Japanese) of Kaguya LAT topography map are both the Moon's highest (Red Cross) and lowest (Blue Cross) elevations, only 2,400 kilometers (1,491 miles) apart.

At bottom left, just featured in what may be the last HD video shot taken from a mere 11 km overhead mere days before its expected impact.

At bottom left within Antoniade, one of more than 30 mare-filled micro-basins in the craggy interior of the 4 billion-year-old, 2000 kilometer-wide South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin. Antoniade's southern basin floor is the "Mariana Trench of the Moon," at least 8,100 meters below lunar mean. At top right, Kaguya is credited with isolating the "Mount Everest of the Moon," a mountain at least 16 kilometers higher than Antoniade., among the huge mountains to the north of Korolev and contiguous with the northeastern rim of the crater Englehardt.

JAXA investigators have come the closest so far in best determining the true tortured shape and complex mass and gravity of the Moon, and its elusive center using its laser altimeter and data from twin sub-satelites.

Scientists are anxious to sample the deep interiors of SBA Basin, still largely unexplored with no samples found from more remote areas and a mineral composition and which are relatively rare on the far side yet common on the near; metallic oxides and thorium as well as others common to the Moon's near side but rare on the hemisphere beyond view of the Earth.

From Nature:

"Kaguya, Japan's lunar orbiter, has concluded its mission with a concussion. The mission, which created a new set of gravity maps and also mapped the surface in HDTV, was scheduled to crash at 3:25 am local time in Japan, or 2:25 pm Eastern Daylight Time today in the US. Telescopes across Asia and Australia peered into night-time skies for a glimpse of the impact. The expected site, at 80 degrees east longitude and 66 degrees south in latitude, is shown here, as mapped by the European Space Agency's SMART-1 satellite, which itself fell to its end in 2006."

"But Kaguya's crash heralds a much bigger one yet to come -- one that may turn up water along with dust. On Thursday, NASA is set to launch Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter along with its sister mission, LCROSS. In the autumn, that mission will send a 2,300 impactor -- an empty rocket stage -- into the shadowed parts of craters near the south pole where some scientists suspect ice may persist."

Kaguya English Image Gallery Restored

With the appointment of Susumu Kasaki as the new Kaguya Lunar Orbiter Project Director, Japan announced two weeks ago their plans for de-orbiting Kaguya, mapping the ghostly lunar crustal magnetic anomalies from its last lower altitude passes over the entire Moon next year.

Now, after what seemed an interminably long wait, JAXA has redesigned its Flash Kaguya Image Gallery, going live in English on Christmas Day.

New Kaguya Image Gallery

At first glance any renewed attentions played by JAXA to the Kaguya public gallery is excellent news. Those who have gone so far as to extrapolate image names stored on "less than public" Internet servers, and downloaded all that was available from more than one website on the Home Islands may now have the most complete Kaguya collections available.

The images posted to this newest official JAXA site, however, are not anywhere close to being the more comprehensive "complete" collection of Kaguya images and videos that were formally available. Using the new site's search function, for example, areas on the Moon that were once announced by JAXA as their standards for instrument calibration in the years prior to the beginning of the Kaguya mission are just unavailable. It is not credible to believe that JAXA has not taken, by now, HDTV images of the entire Moon, of magnetometer measurements, etc. The improved release of a second improved topographical map of the entire Moon from laser altimetry is a delightful hint of what Japan has yet to make public. As delightful as that may be, however, any perfecting improvements the more detailed information that could be made to the large scale relief maps painstakenly maintained by the USGS in Flagstaff would be welcome.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has better not be holding out for international DVD sales, as Japan appears to be. If so, JAXA should release that collection soon because LRO will eventually be launched, and its a superior spacecraft with a more powerful camera. As tentative as the hold may still be on a twenty year or so advantage in space technology on the part of the U.S., that advantage still remains dominant, at least for now.

But with LRO will the United States be also as apparently determined to ignore the spirit, if not the exact letter, of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, as is China, Japan and India?

In Japan, the distractions may be a dropping of the ball on the part of their private "copyright" partner NHK, the national television network.

In India, it may be no shortage of public relations partners with access to raw data from Changdrayaan but perhaps a lack in the ability on the part of their press and to make heads or tails of floods of new data, in the context of what is already known about the Moon.

Tails of proprietary information being hidden, regarding the locations of precious minerals and resources for example, makes little sense, and if true, such efforts are misguided. The promise of Helium-3 in fueling post-2050 world-wide economic growth is clear but some decades away. No part of the Moon can hide itself exclusively from any of the nations analysing the surface from orbit. Lower orbit, as will be the case soon for Kaguya, will reveal more diversity, beyond the imaginations of those who mistakenly dismissed the Moon as essentially worthless after the Apollo Era.

More likely each of these newly energized national space authorities are making the same mistake NASA once made, one hopefully unnecessary in the Internet age.

NASA set the standards for openness originally as a contrast with the secretive Soviet Bloc, with very public launches of manned vehicles from the U.S. in very experimental, complex spacecraft, during the Cold War. That sharing of information with the public was widespread but sparcer than many Americans can imagine in the present time. Data prepared for the level of public interest was prepared for the lowest common denominator among the taxpayers.

Photography from the Apollo missions appeared in brief, poorly printed highlights and in only slightly better collections printed often six months after each of those lunar missions in National Geographic and Life.

Often little provision is made for those, many of them students and scholars,with far more knowledge of these remarkable achievements, but possessing less "context" or "real interest" than the straight-arrow engineers and scientists.

Ironically, today the continuing restoration and digitization of that forty year old data and photographs is underway blowing off the dust from data collected during the Apollo landings, and are now seemingly more vivid and immediate (and to a far larger segment of the world's population. The channels of information, the media connecting NASA and the public, were far more narrow and few, being printed or televised before the practical use of digital video technology made possible by Apollo's innovative engineers.

Further, today "amateur" astronomers are better able to create using unimagined consumer computer power, the kinds of full mosaic photographs of the Moon than were professionals working at university observatories a half-century ago.

JAXA's Kaguya Selene lunar orbiter has been engaged in some serious surface investigation, recently, even as plans to eventually deorbit in 2009 were announced December 15. Before decommissioning Kaguya with her twin attendant gravity and relay subsatellites are to be brought down into a much closer orbit, as was Lunar Prospector before being intentionally impacted into the depths of a dark Lunar South Pole crater in a final but apparently fruitless effort to expose detectable water-borne ejecta. NASA's combined launch of a MRO-class HiRES camera and impactor, the LRO and LCROSS as early as late April, will add to the unfinished business exposed by the invaluable Lunar Prospector. Even without a camera, LP's data are still unveiling new information about the Moon, a decade after its obliteration.

LRO and LCROSS will soon join China, Japan and India (Chang'e 1, Kaguya (Selene) and Chandrayaan 1, respectively) in a new and almost fevered demonstration of sudden renewed interest in the Moon and her more obviously undiscovered secrets that began in earnest with the NASA/DOD sensor platform Clementine in 1994.

Much has been made in comparing the sharing of raw images by NASA JPL and partners from Mars, Mars orbit and from the vicinity of Saturn, against what can only be called a secretive, glacially slow clear reluctance to share similar data from the Moon by China and Japan, and now perhaps India as well. Unintentionally, the agencies are neglecting one of their greatest links to the grass roots support of the nominally interested general public: The Very Interested minority who constitute their greatest weapon in securing public will and public funding.

Indian's Chandrayaan science team has begun it weeks-old lunar survey by releasing an impressive assortment of images and video, and are now slowly backing away to devote more resources to gathering data they believe the general public is not capable of appreciating the breathtaking and entertaining images that are barely better in quality than the photography delivered by NASA and the Soviet Union four decades ago.

Of course, it's hard to get those ultimate close-ups without actually landing or, better still, engaging in ultimate Geology field trips experienced so far only by Senator Harrison Schmitt ithirty-six years ago this month.

China's Chang'e, first in the growing fleet of Lunar Orbiters presently examining the Moon, was quick to deliver an impressive brief examply of photography after arrival in lunar orbit in 2007, but afterward was followed by more than a year of near silence, aside from reports of the solar powered probe's survival after drops in available voltage during two lunar eclipses.

Finally, in November, China proudly took the wrappings off of a Full Moon mosaic slightly different and, in someways, slightly better and also slightly poorer than lunar albedo mosaics collected by Clementine. Since then, more silence from the world's most populated nation, with more hints , like India, of the shape of lunar missions to come.

After arriving in lunar orbit soon after Chang'e, Japan's Kaguya delivered a flood of the first high definition television videos and stills, along with mere tastes of the data collected from all but two of its instruments. From late 2007 until last spring JAXA could be counted on to deliver up spectacular new results at least once a month.

Among a few of the results delivered by JAXA were the best images of Far Side features in better contextural detail than when human eyes surveyed the Moon directly from orbit.

During the summer, however, aside from an occassional image sifted from earlier data and posted (usually two weeks after posting them first to the Japanese language version of Kaguya's Flash Gallery. Then new postings to the English website dribbled until the latter was permanently "disabled," intentionally or as a result of some "accident," the detail of which have remained cloudy.

Those of us who depend upon Charles Wood and friends, or our own regular visits to the Japanese language Kaguya Image Gallery were increasingly being disappointed.

While professional scholars and observers, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of others patiently wait for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (unlikely to be in position to use the same HiRES camera over the Moon before late summer) high hopes are fueled the United States will deliver images and preliminary details almost instantly, raw or otherwise.

Any camera able to spot the tracks, shadows and detail of Spirit and Opportunity as they continue to roam through the Martian countryside much further below, should be able to unmistakably identify the artifacts of Apollo, Surveyor, Lunokhod, as well as impacts and final resting places of over 67 sites of manned and unmanned missions to the Moon between 1965 and 1976.

Putting to rest for all but the most obdurate skeptic's ridiculous conspiracy theories about the accomplished engineering demonstrated by the U.S. and U.S.S.R. would be a great service and a demonstration of NASA's commitment to transparency, and it would further NASA's well-earned reputation for showing the taxpayers results of very Open Source science.

The latest "new" announcements of the "discovery" of Iron, Thorium and Uranium on the Moon can be humored with a self-confidence NASA retains from having mapped the abundance of these elements and others, as well as reserves of volatiles like Hydrogen. Openness will be celebrated next March when the NASA-chartered Lunar and Planetary Science Institute holds its 40th annual conference, open to the hard-work shown in thousands of abstracts, Posters, and lectures prepared by both professionals and laymen "lunatics."

The space programs of the world should learn NASA has not lost out its advantage in space exploration by secrecy, and has won and maintained that advantage by innovation built on necessity. With LRO, let us hope NASA itself hasn't forgotten its strongest boosters.

JAXA releases time-lapse of Reverse-Penumbra

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) successfully took moving images of the precise Earth rise moment when the Earth looked like a diamond ring using the onboard high definition camera (HDTV) of the lunar explorer "KAGUYA" (SELENE) on February 10, 2009 (Japan Standard Time, all the following dates and times are Japan Standard Time.)

The moment came when a penumbral lunar eclipse occurred and sunlight was covered by the Earth. During that time, since the view of the Sun from the KAGUYA was mostly covered by the Earth, the KAGUYA observed that the Earth looked like a diamond ring. This is the first time that this phenomenon was shot from the Moon.

The images were shot by the HDTV onboard the KAGUYA for space-use developing by NHK. The moving images were received at JAXA and processed at NHK.

* A penumbral lunar eclipse is a phenomenon in which the Sun, Earth and Moon line up in tandem, hence the Moon is in the Earth's penumbra, or, when you look from the Moon, the Sun is partially covered by the Earth (partial eclipse.) During this phenomenon, the volume of sunlight to the Moon decreases, and the Moon's surface looks darker when you look at the Moon from the Earth. The KAGUYA, which circles around the Moon on its polar orbit, can witness this phenomenon only twice a year at most, thus it was very valuable to capture the moving images of the phenomenon from the KAGUYA.

The Earth by the HDTV (Tele-camera) during the penumbral lunar eclipse (480x270px) http://space.jaxa.jp/movie/20090218_kaguya_movie01_e.html

Figure 1 Image of the Earth by the HDTV (Tele-camera) during the penumbral lunar eclipse
http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/02/20090218_kaguya_e.html#pict1

This still image was a cutout from the moving images taken by the onboard HDTV (tele-camera) of the KAGUYA (SELENE) on February 10, 2009.

The bright part on the lower right side is the Sun and the black area surrounded by the thin light ring is the Earth. The red dotted line shows the Moon's surface. Most of the Sun is covered by the Earth and the Moon's surface.

The contour of the Earth is shining in a ring shape because of the atmosphere. It scatters in the atmosphere in the periphery of the Earth, and a part of the sunlight reaches the Moon. The Earth's rim looks like a blue ring from the Moon since it is thought that the scattering sunlight with blue color light occurs easily because of the Earth's atmosphere.

Figure 2 Sequence images of the Earth by the HDTV (Tele-camera) during the penumbral lunar eclipse http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/02/20090218_kaguya_e.html#pict2

The KAGUYA captured the moving image of the Earth and the Sun gradually rising from the Moon's surface. The above sequence of images is a cutout from the moving image to show the rising process. The image on the far left is just after the Earth rise from the Moon's surface. It took about 47 seconds to film from the left to the right when the Sun came out from the Moon's surface and the diamond ring appeared.

Figure 3 Positions of the KAGUYA, Moon, Earth and Sun when images of the Earth-rise during the penumbral lunar eclipse http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/02/20090218_kaguya_e.html#pict3

http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/02/20090218_kaguya_e.html

Public Affairs Department, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
JAXA WEB SITE : http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html

Public release of Kaguya data archives

"Head's Up," for the earthbound, Kaguya's now-iconic earthset "over" Malapert Massif, permanently darkened Shoemaker and Shackleton Craters, with the Moon's south pole on its rim, one of many areas now better known because of Japan's first lunar orbiter. [JAXA/NHK/SELENE]

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) released data from the lunar explorer "KAGUYA" (SELENE) (L2 products) during the nominal operation phase (from December 21, 2007 to October 31, 2008) to the public through the Internet.
L2 products are calibrated/validated processed data from KAGUYA science mission instruments. By using the L2 products, researchers all over the world are expected to advance the scientific analysis and applicability investigation of the Moon.

"KAGUYA 3D Moon NAVI" services, which can show KAGUYA data using a three-dimension geographic information system (WebGIS) through the Internet, have also commenced. The developed software is based on NASA "World Wind" and the KAGUYA's images and data can be displayed using the 3D map projection function. It is necessary to download and install the free software. Please refer to the following homepage for details.

L2 products during the extended operational phase (until June 2009) are scheduled to be released after processing and calibration/validation are finished.

[ KAGUYA(SELENE) Data Archive ]
https://www.soac.selene.isas.jaxa.jp/archive/index.html.en

[ KAGUYA 3D Moon NAVI ]
http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/3dmoon/index.html

Details HERE.

Kaguya uranium confirmation is late news

Though the results were strongly highlighted at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in March, the definitive identification of Uranium, northwest of the center of the Moon's nearside, the work done by the Planetary Science Institute and Japan's team working directly with Kaguya has suddenly become news.

Here's an example: Robert C. Reedy, a senior scientist at the Tucson-based Planetary Science Institute, is mapping the moon's surface elements using data gathered by an advanced gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) that rode aboard the Japanese Kaguya spacecraft.

The data promise to show chemical elements on the moon that have never been identified before, and Reedy and the Kaguya GRS team already have found uranium signatures in the data, an element not seen in previous moon-mapping efforts.

The uranium results were recently announced in papers presented at the 40th Lunar and Planetary Conference and at the Proceedings of the International Workshop Advances in Cosmic Ray Science. The lead authors on those papers are Prof. Naoyuki Yamashita and Prof. Nobuyuki Hasebe respectively. Both are from Japan's Waseda University.

Earlier gamma-ray spectrometer maps from the Apollo and Lunar Prospector missions show a few of the moon's chemical elements. But the maps constructed by Reedy and the Kaguya GRS team -- using data gathered by state-of-the-art high-energy-resolution germanium detectors -- are extending the earlier results and improving our understanding of the moon's surface composition.

In addition to uranium, the Kaguya GRS data also is showing clear signatures for thorium, potassium, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, calcium, titanium and iron.

Reedy and his colleagues are using measurements from the Kaguya lunar orbiter's GRS to construct high-quality maps of as many chemical elements as possible. Kaguya was launched in September 2007 and crashed into the moon at the end of its mission on June 10 of this year.

"We've already gotten uranium results, which have never been reported before," Reedy said. "We're getting more new elements and refining and confirming results found on the old maps. Some of these comparisons are being done with lunar elemental maps made by a Lunar Prospector team headed by PSI senior scientist Tom Prettyman."

Reedy has been an official co-investigator on the Kaguya GRS team since 2007, and has received some support from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

"Being selected as a co-investigator for a JAXA planetary mission is a great honor," Reedy said.

Read the Article HERE.

Read the Abstract Below:

Yamashita - Hasebe & Shibamura - Kobayashi - Karouji Hareyama, Kobayashi, Okudaira & Takashima - d’Uston & Maurice - Gasnault & Forni, Diez & Reedy - Kim & Arai, Ebihara, Sugihara & Takeda, Hayatsu, Iwabuchi, Nemoto, Takeda & Tsukada - Nagaoka, Hihara, Maejima - Nakazawa & Otake: Precise Observation of Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium on the Moon by the SELENE GRS [#1855] The SELENE GRS revealed the global distribution of U on the lunar surface for the first time. The U distribution and its trend with K and Th are discussed to help understand thermal history of the Moon.

Final operational week for KAGUYA

Click on image to enlarge graphic above
Lunar Orbiter IV-4044-h3 overhead image (large file)

Because Japan's lunar orbiter Kaguya will slam into the Moon at approximately 6:30 pm, Wednesday, June 10, 2009 (UT), Team "SELENE (KAGUYA)" is busy preparing for its "final operation," impacting on the Moon's southern hemisphere near Gill, a skillfully coordinated "controlled re-entry with high accuracy,"according Japan's space agency JAXA.

"In addition, it may be the last promotion activity for KAGUYA project by using KAGUYA (SELENE) satellite itself for people around the world."

"If someone plans to see the KAGUYA impact at an observatory with a big telescope, like the 3.6 meter telescope in Hawaii, please contact with us by e-mail (sel_hp@jaxa.jp) and let us know who, how and where. It is very appreciated if you can also provide the result of observation."

"REMINDER: Impact time and location information will be updated using the latest information on KAGUYA's orbit and condition."

Expected KAGUYA impact point

The new Kaguya Terrain Camera tours

Still from the 16:9 spectacular Kaguya terrain camera video tour of the Reiner Gamma albedo swirl in Oceanus Procellarum. The presentation does an excellent job showing the apparent link between the swirl and the morphology of the Marius Hill to its northwest [JAXA/SELENE].

Japan's space agency JAXA recently published a handful of spectacular, new highly realistic 3D tours from Terrain Camera data returned from SELENE-1 (Kaguya 2007-2009). Since Kaguya met its end in a guided impact visible from Earth in 2009, sporadic updates to the Kaguya Image Gallery, where mission science, presentations and a sampling of HDTV are available, have been few. 

The Japanese language side of the gallery is always updated first, so it took a little intuition for us to find the useful link to the new products. These are also comparatively large video files (20Mps MPEG, ~100 mg). Unable to view the best of these new presentations following the Flash linkage, the stand-alone files can download for viewing locally . It's worth the effort. A user can "right hand click" the links below to save the video files directly.

Reiner Gamma; Antoniadi; Marius (Haruyama) pit crater; Tranquillitatis pit crater; Mare Ingenni pit crater . 

If you don't want to bother with all that and still want a renewed taste of Kaguya's still-unique and valuable contributions - not the least their addition to the aesthetics and appreciation for the beauty of Earth's Moon - don't neglect the Kaguya YouTube videos, starting with the famous Earthrise from 2008.

While in the neighborhood, a new and improved Kaguya terrain camera tour of the wider vicinity of the Marius pit, situated within a sinuous rille winding through the heart of the Marius Hills, is also worth the time.

Final topography from Kaguya LALT

From JAXA Mail Service: (Grateful Hat Tip to Junya Terazono)

"The Japanese lunar explorer KAGUYA (SELENE) has been operating since nominal operations started in December 2007 to elucidate the origin and evolution of the Moon. Four KAGUYA research reports using observation data from the Terrain Camera onboard the KAGUYA and a perspective titled "Seeing the Missing Half" were published as part of a KAGUYA special edition in Science Magazine dated February 13, 2009.

This special edition, which is featured on the cover page, is epoch-making and succeeds the special issues of planetoid explorer "HAYABUSA" in June 2006 and the solar observation satellite "HINODE" in December 2007.

The titles of the research reports in Science magazine that aim to provide new knowledge to stimulate the study of the origin and evolution of the Moon are as follows:

1) Lunar Radar Sounder Observations of Subsurface Layers under the Nearside Maria* of the Moon 2) Farside Gravity Field of the Moon from the Four-way Doppler Measurements of the SELENE (Kaguya) 3) The Lunar Global Shape and Polar Topography Derived from Kaguya- LALT Laser Altimetry 4) The Long-lived Volcanism on the Lunar Farside Revealed by the SELENE Terrain Camera

* The relay satellite "OKINA (RSTAR)" made an impact on the lunar surface on February 12, 2009 (JST), and the four-way Doppler measurement mission was successfully completed.

Though it would be wrong to underestimate the value of the final and most detailed Laser Altimetry data picked up by Kaguya, or their unprecedented accuracy within a very well -planned and executed primary mission all the millions of datapoints from that experiment has been published but the analysis published in Science is being picked up by sources everywhere as "news" that Earth's Moon is a "waterless" place.

What was news, of course, in 1999 was the possibility there might be water ice deposited on the Moon, locked away in permanently darkened polar craters. That the Moon was, and has been for aeons, "waterless" has been documented since at least the Apollo Era.

The "news," that the plasticity of the lunar topography as measured by JAXA left little doubt of water playing any significant role in lunar morphology seems secondary to the creation of truly accurate (and stunning) topographic relief maps of the lunar geode.

Detailed Press Release from JAXA

Better maps and the story as picked by Universe Today
And -- LALT data and science from JAXA

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XL

Presentations about the Moon

40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Lunar and Planetary Institute
The Woodlands, Texas - March 23-27, 2009

Program with Abstracts
Program Index
Download Files by Session

ORIGIN AND EARLY
EVOLUTION OF THE MOON

Chairs: David Kring & David Draper

Jacobsen, Remo, Petaev & Sasselov: Hf-W Chronometry and the Timing of the Giant Moon-forming Impact on Earth [#2054] For Hf-W chronometry of the Earth-Moon system (EMS) there are currently two end member options: (i) the formation of the EMS at ~32 Myr or (ii) formation of 90% of the Earth in the first six Myr followed by a very late (~100 Myr) formation of the Moon.

Touboul, Kleine, Bourdon, Nyquist & Shih: New 142Nd Evidence for a Non-Chondritic Composition of the Moon [#2269] Here we present new Sm-Nd data for lunar rocks that are used to evaluate the significance of the 146Sm-142Nd systematics for constraining the timescale of lunar differentiation and the bulk Nd isotope composition of the Moon.

Elardo & Draper: Crystallization of a Lunar Magma Ocean: Preliminary Experimental Results [#1181] Though widely accepted, the lunar magma ocean hypothesis has never been fully tested experimentally. Presented here are the preliminary results of experiments conducted on a bulk Moon composition to simulate lunar magma ocean crystallization.

Pahlevan & Stevenson: Chemical Fractionation after the Moon-forming Giant Impact [#2392] We test the hypothesis that the lunar mantle is derived from the terrestrial mantle via liquid-vapor fractionation during the afterglow of the giant impact.

Zindler & Jacobsen: Isotopic Equilibration of Earth’s Mantle and the Moon Subsequent to the Giant Impact? [#2542] The striking oxygen, chromium, and tungsten isotopic similarities between the Earth’s mantle and the Moon are discussed and modeled with a 3-box model.

E.M. Parmentier: On the Scale of Lunar Mantle Overturn Following Magma Ocean Fractional Solidification: The Role for Multiple Scales of Convective Motion [#1781] Multiple scales of mantle overturn following magma ocean fractional solidification reconciles the magmatic evolution of the Moon many of its important geological and geophysical characteristics.

J. Longhi: Origin of the Magnesian Suite Cumulates [#2356] Melting calculations on various combinations of rock types formed in the lunar magma ocean suggest that highly magnesian olivine characteristic of magnesian suite cumulates ultimately derives from the earliest dunite cumulates of the magma ocean.

Grange, Nemchin, Pidgeon & Meyer: Early History of the Moon: Zircon Perspective [#1473] U-Pb ages of lunar zircons highlight new details in the early history of the Moon, providing a younger limit for the LMO crystallization and indicating that the impact history of the Moon is more complex than the accepted late period of bombardment.

H.V. Frey: Crustal Thickness Evidence for More Previously Unrecognized Large Lunar Basins [#1687] Crustal thickness model data reveal the presence of even more large lunar basins that were previously unrecognized. The total number of lunar basins >300 km diameter may exceed 150, more than three times that determined by photogeologic mapping alone.

Wieczorek & Le Feuvre: Did a Large Impact Reorient the Moon? [#1554] More impacts should occur on the Moon’s western hemisphere as a result of this body’s synchronous rotation. We show that there are more old basins located on the Moon’s eastern hemisphere, suggesting that a large impact reoriented the Moon by 180°.

Jolliff, Korotev, Zeigler & Prettyman: Connecting Lunar Meteorite Dhofar 961 to the South Pole-Aitken Basin Through Lunar Prospector Gamma-Ray Data [#2555] Lunar meteorite Dhofar 961, which contains mafic impact-melt components, is matched to locations within South Pole-Aitken Basin through the 5-degree Lunar Prospector gamma-ray data. Implications for a lower crustal provenance are discussed.

Cahill, Lucey & Wieczorek: The Composition of Lunar Central Peaks Relative to Lunar Samples [#1222] Here we place the modeled mineralogy of lunar impact crater central peaks in the context of the lunar sample collection.

Wingo & Cowing: Recovering High Resolution Lunar Orbiter Images from Analog Tape [#2517] Original FR-900 tape recorders have been refurbished to play, digitize, and store, the original highest resolution images of the Moon. This paper outlines the process and the initial results of our efforts.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

SPECIAL SESSION:
LUNAR MISSIONS: RESULTS FROM KAGUYA, CHANG’E-1, AND CHANDRAYAAN-1

PART ONE
Chairs: Clive Neal & Alian Wang

Goswami & Annadurai: Chandrayaan-1: India’s First Planetary Science Mission to the Moon [#2571] The first Indian planetary exploration mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched on 22 October, 2008. We will present a brief summary of the science objectives, various payloads, mission details and observational plans.

Gopala, Amitabh, Srivastava & Kiran: Digital Elevation Models of the Lunar Surface from Chandrayaan-1 Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) Imagery — Initial Results [#1694] Initial results of digital elevation model obtained from the stereo triplet images acquired by the Terrain Mapping Camera onboard the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft are discussed.

9:15 a.m. Kiran, Roy, Murali, Sarkar, Joshi, Patel, Dave, Shah, Banerjee, Mathew & Sharma: The Terrain Mapping Camera on Chandrayaan-1 [#1584] The Terrain Mapping Camera on Chandrayaan-1, acquires stereo triplet images of Moon in visible band. With the successful launch, spacecraft reached the 100 kilometer polar orbit around the moon and has since been returning images of Moon.

Dachev, Tomov, Matviichuk, Dimitrov, Angelis, Spurny, & Vadawale: Monitoring of the Earth and Moon Radiation Environment by the RADOM Instrument on Indian Chandrayyan-1 Satellite. Preliminary Results [#1274] This paper describes preliminary scientific results from the measurements of the Earth and Moon radiation environment by RADOM instrument since 22nd October 2008.

De Angelis, Dachev, Tomov, Matviichuk, Dimitrov, Spurny & Vadawale: Modeling of the Moon Radiation Environment at the Altitude of the Indian Chandrayaan-1 Satellite and a Comparison with the RADOM Experiment Data [#1310] These results for the moon radiation environment as well as for the cruise phase have been obtained in the framework of the Radom investigation that is on-board the Chandrayaan-1 mission by the Indian Space Agency ISRO.

Spudis, Bussey, Butler, Carter, Gillis-Davis, Goswami, Heggy, Kirk, Misra, Nozette, Robinson, Raney, Thomson & Ustinov: The Mini-SAR Imaging Radar on the Chandrayaan-1 Mission to the Moon [#1098] The Mini-SAR is an imaging radar instrument on the Indian Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon. It will map both lunar poles, revealing terrain in permanently dark areas and characterizing the backscattering properties of these areas, looking for evidence of ice.

Senthil, Kiran, Goswami, Pieters, Krishna & Chauhan: Lunar Orientale Basin: Topology and Morphology of Impact Melt Region from Chandrayaan-1 TMC and HYSI [#1505] Initial results of Chandrayaan-1 Terrain Mapping Camera and Hyperspectral Imager data acquired the Orientale Basin of lunar surface are presented.

Kamalakar, Laxmi, Bhaskar, Selvaraj, Sridhar, Goswami, Kalyani, Ravikumar, Jain, Daniel & Gopinath: Laser Ranging Experiment Aboard Chandrayaan-I: Instrumentation and Preliminary Results [#1487] This paper presents the instrumentation details, end-to-end testing of the Lunar Laser Range Instrument (LLRI) aboard Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 and focus on the present status and preliminary results obtained by the instrument.

Grande, Kellett, Maddison, Sreekumar, Huovelin, Howe, Crawford & Narendranath: Initial Results from the C1XS X-Ray Spectrometer on Chandrayaan-1 [#1840] C1XS in flight calibration shows the instrument is performing well. C1XS observed the Moon during an A class flare on 12-12-2008; characteristic X-ray lines at Mg, Al and Si are clearly resolved. Analysis shows that C1XS easily meets spec.

Pieters & Moon Mineralogy Mapper Team: Mineralogy of the Lunar Crust in Spatial Context: First Results from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) [#2052] Mineralogy across the Orientale Basin measured with initial M3 data indicate the peak ring exposed a massive crustal layer of almost pure anorthosite. This is underlain by noritic materials. More mineralogy data of the lunar crust is being acquired.

Green, Pieters, Boardman, Barr, Bruce, Bousman, Chatterjee, Eastwood, Essandoh, Geier, Glavich, Green, Haemmerle, Hyman, Hovland, Koch, Lee, Lundeen, Motts, Mouroulis, Paulson, Plourde, Racho, Robison, Rodriguez, Rothman, Sellar, Smith, Sobel, Stamp, Tseng, Varanasi, Wilson & White: The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) Imaging Spectrometer: Early Assessment of the Spectral, Radiometric, Spatial, and Uniformity Characteristics [#2307] The Moon Mineralogy Mapper is a high uniformity and high signal-to-noise ratio NASA imaging spectrometer that is a guest instrument on the Indian Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mission. We present an early assessment of the M3 science measurement performance.

Li, Liu, Mu, Ren, Zou & Zhang - Lu, Liu, Zuo, Su, Wen, Bian, Zou & Ouyang: A New Global Image of the Moon by Chinese Chang’E Probe [#2568] Mapping procedure of the global image of the Moon is described, including introduction of data, data processing and map-making. The results shows that the Chinese global image map provides new and highly precise data for lunar topographic demonstration and research.

Liu, Ren, Mu & Zhao - Xiangli, Yang & Zou - Zhang, Lu, Liu, Zuo - Su, Wen - Bian, Zou & Li: Automatic DEM Generation from CE-1’s CCD Stereo Camera Images [#2570] The goal of the CCD Stereo Camera is to acquire 3D-images of lunar surface between 70S and 70N. We describe the process of the images acquired, configuration of imaging system, camera sensor model, camera trajectory model and EFP photogrammetric triangulation algorithm.

SPECIAL SESSION:
LUNAR MISSIONS: RESULTS FROM KAGUYA, CHANG’E-1, AND CHANDRAYAAN-1

PART TWO
Chairs: Lisa Gaddis & Jeff Taylor

Sobue & Sasaki - Kato, Maejima, Minamino, Nakazawa & Ootake - Konishi, Tateno & Yonekura - Hoshino & Kimura: The Project Highlight of Japan’s Lunar Explorer Kaguya (SELENE) [#1224] Kaguya (SELENE) was successful launched on September 14, 2007 at Tanegashima Space Center of JAXA. This paper describes the overview of Kaguya system, highlight of operation, public promotion result and future expected operation plan.

Kato & Takizawa - Sasaki & SELENE Project Team: The Kaguya (SELENE) Mission and Its Lunar Science [#1226] The lunar orbiter Kaguya has completed steady observation for ten month. We would like to talk on science results and mission summary.

Ohtake, Matsunaga & Yokota - Haruyama & Miyamoto, Arai, Hirata & Takeda - Nakamura & Morota - Honda & Ogawa, Kitazato & LISM Team: Anorthosite with 100% Plagioclase on the Moon Detected by the SELENE Multiband Imager [#1557] We find exceptionally feldspathic rock with ~100% Fe-bearing plagioclase at the base of central peak of Tycho by using Multiband Imager data on board SELENE. We are conducting similar analyses at other locations.

Matsunaga & Ohtake - Haruyama & Ogawa - Nakamura & Yokota - Morota - Honda & Torii - Abe & Nimura - Hiroi, Arai, Saiki & Takeda - Hirata, Kodama & Sugihara - Demura - Asada - Terazono & Otake: Current Status and First Scientific Results of SELENE Spectral Profiler [#2133] Spectral Profiler (SP) is a visible — near infrared spectrometer onboard Japanese SELENE spacecraft. Its spectral specifications are optimized for lunar surface mineral survey. In this paper, SP’s status and first scientific results are presented.

Yamashita - Hasebe & Shibamura - Kobayashi - Karouji Hareyama, Kobayashi, Okudaira & Takashima - d’Uston & Maurice - Gasnault & Forni, Diez & Reedy - Kim & Arai, Ebihara, Sugihara & Takeda, Hayatsu, Iwabuchi, Nemoto, Takeda & Tsukada - Nagaoka, Hihara, Maejima - Nakazawa & Otake: Precise Observation of Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium on the Moon by the SELENE GRS [#1855] The SELENE GRS revealed the global distribution of U on the lunar surface for the first time. The U distribution and its trend with K and Th are discussed to help understand thermal history of the Moon.

Gasnault & Forni - Diez, d’Uston & Maurice - Hasebe, Okudaira & Yamashita - Kobayashi & Karouji - Hareyama & Shibamura - Kobayashi, Reedy & SELENE GRS Team: Preliminary Analysis of SELENE GRS Data — The Iron Case [#2253] The lunar compositional poles can be seen in the SELENE gamma-ray data through statistical processing of the spectra. Independent component analysis leads to a map of Th and a preliminary map of Fe, which can be normalized with Lunar Prospector data.

Namiki, et.al.: Comparative Study of Compensation Mechanism of Lunar Impact Basins from New Gravity Field Model of SELENE (Kaguya) [#1519] Based on the gravity model of the Moon by SELENE, we propose new classification and compensation mechanism of lunar impact basins. Impact basins on lunar far side are classified into two types depending on free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies.

Ishihara, et.al.: Localized Gravity/Topography Correlation and Admittance Spectra on the Moon [#1623] We show the results of localized correlation and admittance analysis using new lunar gravity and topography models from Kaguya mission.

Araki & Tazawa, et.al: The Lunar Global Topography by the Laser Altimeter (LALT) Onboard Kaguya (SELENE): Results from the One Year Observation [#1432] A global and precise topographic map of the Moon has been derived by the laser altimeter (LALT) onboard the Japanese lunar explorer Kaguya (SELENE). Results of the one year observation and implications from the LALT topography will be presented.

Antonenko, Cooper, Yamaguchi & Ono - Kumamoto & Osinski: Preliminary Regional Analysis of the Kaguya Lunar Radar Sounder (LRS) Data Through Eastern Mare Imbrium [#2406] We processed preliminary Kaguya Lunar Radar Sounder data to form a coarse 3D voxel grid model. This model shows topography, a regional boundary at ~3.8 km depth (but dipping to ~4.4 km in SE Mare Imbrium), and the probable detection limits of the instrument at ~6.3 km depth.

Honda & Yamazaki - Mitsuhashi, Tachino, Yamauchi & Shirao: Results of High-Definition Television System (HDTV) On Board SELENE (Kaguya) [#2540] The current status of the HDTV, recent data obtained, and ongoing data analysis of HDTV images such as the creation of digital elevation model (DEM) from the moving images are reported.

Haruyama & Ohtake - Matsunaga & Morota - Honda, Yokota, Ogawa & LISM Working Group: SELENE (Kaguya) Terrain Camera Observation Results of Nominal Mission Period [#1553] We will overview observation results of the 10 m-resolution stereo-camera, Terrain Camera, aboard SELENE (Kaguya) during its nominal mission period of about one-year.

Hirata, et.al.: Morphological Analyses of Tycho Crater with Kaguya Data [#1514] We investigated a large lunar crater Tycho with Kaguya/LISM data to reconstruct the impact event forming the crater from distributions of its ejecta and other associated features.

POSTER SESSION 1:
LUNAR MISSIONS: RESULTS FROM KAGUYA, CHANG’E-1, AND CHANDRAYAAN-1

Arai T. Yamamoto Y. Okada T. Kato M. -- Lessons Learned in Onboard Software Processing of XRS-Kaguya [#2212] We introduce the functional control, data reduction and observation control by the software processing of X-ray spectrometers onboard Kaguya, and we discuss the lessons-learned from the lunar X-ray observation.

Terazono J. Asada N. Demura H. Hirata N. Saiki K. Iwasaki A. Oka R. Hayashi T. Suzuki T. Miyamoto H. Haruyama J. Ohtake M. Matsunaga T. Sobue S. Okumura H. Fujita T. Yamamoto A. Integrated Lunar Web-GIS Environment Using Data Obtained by Lunar Exploration [#1232] The report of current implementation and development status about integrated GIS infrastructure using lunar exploration data including Kaguya, Japanese lunar explorer.

Okumura H. Sobue S. Hoshino H. Yamamoto A. Fujita T. Data Archive and Visualization for Lunar Orbiter Kaguya (SELENE) [#1518] Kaguya Data Archive (L2DB) and Kaguya Web Map Server(WMS) are being developed in JAXA Sagamihara Campus and will be open to the public from Nov. 2009. Also World Wind for Kaguya and KML data set will be prepared for the purpose of research and EPO.

Shibata Y. Hirata N. Demura H. Asada N. Yokota Y. Morota T. Honda C. Matsunaga T. Ohtake M. Haruyama J. Semi-Automatic Recognition of Lunar Geologic Units Based on Texture and Spectral Features Using Image Data Observed by Kaguya, LISM TC/MI [#1615] This research shows first step for semi-automatic recognition by means of ongoing Kaguya data. We especially focus on recognition of geologic units by combining texture and spectral features extracted from image data observed by LISM TC/MI.

Hodokuma T. Kuriki K. Asada N. Demura H. Terazono J. Hirata H. Haruyama J. Ohtake M. Matsunaga T. Araki H. Integration of Multi-Instrumental Data Sets of Kaguya, LISM and LALT [#1637] We report current status on integration of multi-instrumental data sets of Kaguya, LISM and LALT, such as digital terrain model, altitude profiles, multiband images, and spectral data.

Yokota Y. Matsunaga T. Ohtake M. Haruyama J. Ogawa Y. Nakamura R. Honda C. Morota T. Saiki K. Kawabe S. Nagasawa K. Kitazato K. LISM Working Group Lunar Phase Curve at Vis/NIR Wavelength Observed by SELENE Spectral Profiler [#2525] We report preliminary results of Disk-resolved lunar phase curve at highland in Vis/NIR wavelength range by SELENE Spectral Profiler data.

Ogawa Y. Matsunaga T. Nakamura R. Takeda H. Ohtake M. Morota T. Hiroi T. Arai T. Saiki K. Sugihara T. Haruyama J. Yokota Y. Honda C. Nimura T. Hirata N. Demura H. Asada N. Terazono J. Mineral Compositions of the Bright Rayed Craters and Lunar Far-Side Crust Revealed by the Continuous VIS-NIR Spectrum by SP (Spectral Profiler) on SELENE/Kaguya [#1650] SP is a visible and near infrared spectrometer onboard SELENE/Kaguya satellite. Based on the SP spectral data we are conducting a preliminary survey to collect compositional information of the lunar highland crust on the far-side.

Migita E. Araki H. Noda H. Tazawa S. Ishihara Y. Iwata T. Laser Altimeter Lunar Crater Measurement by SELENE (Kaguya) [#1981] Laser Altimeter (LALT) on board SELENE (Kaguya) can determine anew crater diameter. LALT data is accurate as compared with Clementine LIDAR data. Especially, central peaks seen in LALT data are clearer than those seen in LIDAR data.

Honda C. Morota T. Yokota Y. Ogawa Y. Demura H. Hirata N. Matsunaga T. Ohtake M. Haruyama J. Morphologic Characteristics of the Vallis Schröteri [#1524] Using our DTM derived from TC stereo pair images of Kaguya, we measured the morphologic characteristics of the Vallis Schröteri as a function of distance from vent-like feature.

Morota T. Haruyama J. Honda C. Ohtake M. Yokota Y. Kimura J. Matsunaga T. Ogawa Y. Hirata N. Demura H. Iwasaki A. Miyamoto H. Nakamura R. Ishihara Y. Sasaki S. Ages and Thicknesses of Mare Basalts in Mare Moscoviense: Results from SELENE (KAGUYA) Terrain Camera Data [#1280] We investigate ages and thicknesses of mare basalts in Mare Moscoviense, which is in the northern hemisphere of the lunar farside, using high-resolution images and digital terrain models (DTMs) obtained by SELENE Terrain Camera (TC).

Kobayashi M. Hasebe N. Shibamura E. Miyachi T. Takashima T. Okudaira O. Yamashita N. Kobayashi S. Hareyama M. Karouji Y. Ebihara M. Arai T. Sugihara T. Takeda H. Iwabuchi K. Hayatsu K. Nemoto S. Hihara T. Nakazawa S. Otake H. d’Uston C. Maurice S. Gasnault O. Diez B. Reedy R. C. Status and Performance of the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer on the Kaguya (SELENE) [#1735] The Kaguya main orbiter carries a GRS, which is providing elemental information on lunar surface. In this presentation, the status and performance of the Kaguya GRS observations in the primary mission and early extended mission are given.

Hareyama M. Hasebe N. Shibamura E. Kobayhashi M.-N. Yamashita N. Karouji Y. Kobayashi S. Okudaira O. Takashima T. d’Uston C. Maurice S. Gasnault O. Forni O. Diez B. Reedy R. C. Kim K. J. Arai T. Ebihara M. Sugihara T. Takeda H. Hayatsu K. Iwabuchi K. Nemoto S. Takeda Y. Tsukada K. Nagaoka H. Hihara T. Maejima H. Nakazawa S. High Energy Gamma Rays from the Lunar Surface Observed by GRS Onboard SELENE [#1734] The distribution map of lunar gamma-rays in the energy range of 8–13 MeV observed by SELENE-GRS is presented and discussed about area dependencies.

Reedy R. C. Hasebe N. Yamashita N. Karouji Y. Hareyama M. Kobayashi S. Okudaira O. Shibamura E. Kobayashi M. N. Kim K. J. d’Uston C. Diez B. Gasnault O. Forni O. Kaguya GRS Team Gamma Rays in Spectra Measured by the Kaguya Gamma-Ray Spectrometer [#1788] Of 200 peaks observed in spectra measured by the Kaguya Gamma Ray Spectrometer, the sources of 80% have been identified. Most are from the Ge detector, structural Al, and other local matter. Some gamma rays are from several elements in the Moon.

Okada T. Shiraishi H. Shirai K. Yamamoto Y. Arai T. Ogawa K. Kato M. Grande M. SELENE XRS Team X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRS) on Kaguya: Current Status and Results [#1897] X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRS) for major elemental composition mapping of lunar surface is carried on Kaguya, but some difficulties of its observations are found due to degradation of CCD detectors and due to historically quiescent solar activity.

Clark R. Pieters C. M. Green R. O. M3 Science Team Thermal Removal from Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) Data [#2136] Near-infrared spectra of the Moon contain a mixture of reflectedsunlight and thermal emission caused by heating of the surface fromthe sun at wavelengths beyond about 2 microns. Thermal emission is a factor in analyzing data from M3.

Taylor L. A. Liu Y. Pieters C. Tompkins S. Isaacson P. Cheek L. Thaisen K. Lunar Magma Ocean Crust: Implications of FeO Contents in Plagioclase [#1304] The FeO and MgO compositions of the highland plagioclase, particularly that in the FANs, do not represent those from the original LMO. The re-equilibrated values are due to slow cooling of the proto-crust, similar to anorthosites on Earth (Phinney, 1991).

Pieters C. Kumar S. Head J. W. Goswami J. N. Kumar K. Green R. Boardman J. Staid M. Petro N. Isaacson P. Lunar Orientale Basin: Nature of Impact Melt and Volcanic Flooding from Chandrayaan-1 (M3, TMC, HySI) [#2157] A subset of data observed by M3, TMC, and HySI is used to evaluate the relation of the Maunder Formation and neighboring basalts. The MF is shown to be highly feldspathic and the basalts exhibit features suggestive of magma movement during cooling.

Kiran Kumar A. S. Roy Chowdhury A. Murali K. R. Sarkar S. S. Joshi S. R. Mehta S. Dave A. B. Shah K. J. Banerjee A. Mathew K. Sharma B. N. The Hyper Spectral Imager Instrument on Chandrayaan-1 [#1589] The Hyperspectral imager on Chandrayaan-1 provides images of lunar surface with a spatial resolution of 80 meters in 64 contiguous spectral bands in visible and near infrared regions for mineralogical mapping.

Sreekumar P. Umapathy C. N. Ramakrishna Sharma M. Sreekantha C. V. Tyagi A. Kumar A. B. Sudhakar M. Abraham L. Kulkani R. Premlatha R. L. Srivastava A. K. Neeraj Kumar S. Bug M. Acharya Y. B. Vadawale S. Shanmugam M. Banerjee D. Purohit S. Patel H. Goswami J. N. High-Energy X-Ray Spectrometer (HEX) on Chandrayaan-1: Studies of Volatile Transport on Moon and Mapping of U, Th-rich Terrain [#2572] In situ measurements, remote sensing technique and laboratory analysis of returned samples provide information on the elemental composition of a planetary body.

GEOPHYSICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LUNAR SURFACE AND INTERIOR

Reiff P. H. Freeman J. W. Vondrak R. Apollo ALSEP Results — 40 Years Later [#2363] This paper will discuss the main results from the Apollo/ALSEP SIDE and CPLEE experiments.

Lawrence K. P. Johnson C. L. Magnetic Characterization of Lunar Samples: Back to Basics [#1433] We present preliminary results of low and high temperature hysteresis, low and high temperature magnetic susceptibility, and Curie temperature analyses of multiple lunar samples.

Chi P. J. Russell C. T. Walker R. J. Williams D. Hills H. K. Mehlman R. Restoration of Apollo Magnetic Field Data: A Progress Report [#1894] Under the support by NASA’s LASER Program we are restoring the Apollo data from Lunar Surface Magnetometer and Subsatellite Biaxial Magnetometer. These restored data will be accessible through a dedicated online server, PDS, and NSSDC.

Halekas J. S. Lillis R. J. Purucker M. E. Louzada K. L. Stewart S. T. Manga M. Interpreting Lunar Impact Demagnetization Signatures Using Lunar Prospector Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer Data [#1354] We investigate impact demagnetization signatures observed by Lunar Prospector. We construct crater demagnetization models and compare to observations in order to constrain the strength and coherence scale of lunar crustal magnetization.

Williams J. G. Boggs D. H. Ratcliff J. T. A Larger Lunar Core? [#1452] New data improves lunar science results. A fluid core and tidal dissipation are inferred from dissipation effects on orientation. Detection of core-mantle boundary flattening and fluid core moment are additional evidence for a fluid core.

de Vries J. van den Berg A. P. van Westrenen W. The Formation and Evolution of a Lunar Core from Ilmenite-rich Magma Ocean Cumulates [#1244] The possibility of forming an ilmenite-rich core in the moon is studied, using numerical models. It is shown that core density and sharpness of the core-mantle boundary depend on the heat production in and the density of the ilmenite-rich material.

Sakai R. Kushiro I. Nagahara H. Ozawa K. Tachibana S. Experimental Constraints on Composition of Lunar Magma Ocean from Physical Properties of Magma [#1839] We performed high-pressure experiments to determine density and viscosity of magma with chemical compositions plausible to the anorthosite crust formation in order to put physical and chemical constraints on differentiation of the lunar magma ocean.

Tronche E. J. van Westrenen W. Experimental Petrology of a Lunar Bulk Composition Constrained by Geophysical Data [#1782] The crystallization sequence and phase chemistry of a cooling lunar magma ocean is experimentally investigated for a new lunar bulk composition relatively Al-poor and Fe-rich derived from inversion of seismic and gravity data.

Bauch K. E. Hiesinger H. Helbert J. Estimation of Lunar Surface Temperatures: A Numerical Model [#1789] We present global temperature estimates for sunrise, noontime and sunset. This work provides new and updated research on the temperature variations by taking into account the surface and subsurface bulk thermophysical properties.

Weber R. C. Bills B. G. Johnson C. L. A Simple Physical Model for Deep Moonquakes [#1870] Tidal stress is widely believed to influence the occurrence times of deep moonquakes. We explore several simple models of stress buildup and release that can be used to create moonquake-like time sequences of events.

Kawamura T. Tanaka S. Saito Y. Kobayashi Y. Horai K. Hagermann A. Re-Determination of Deep Moonquake Sources Using the Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Gravimeter [#1653] We performed the first seismic analysis of deep moonquakes using the Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Gravimeter. We re-determined the seismic source of the deep moonquakes and evaluated the contribution of the LSG.

Mazarico E. Han S.-C. Lemoine F. G. Smith D. E. A New Solution of the Lunar Gravity Field Using Localized Spectral Constraint [#2248] We use localized spherical harmonics to create a lunar gravity field solution with the Kaula constraint applied only to the far side. The differences with a globally constrained solution are correlated with the topography, suggesting an improvement.

de Meijer R. J. van Westrenen W. An Alternative Hypothesis for the Formation of the Moon [#1847] We propose an alternative explanation for the compositional correspondence between Moon and silicate Earth: the Moon formed from the ejection of terrestrial mantle material, triggered by a run-away natural georeactor at Earth’s core-mantle boundary.

REMOTE OBSERVATION AND GEOLOGIC MAPPING OF THE LUNAR SURFACE

Campbell B. A. Campbell D. B. Carter L. M. Chandler J. Ghent R. R. Nolan M. Anderson R. F. Earth-Based Radar Mapping of the Lunar Nearside at 12.6-cm Wavelength [#1275] We are collecting a dual-polarization radar backscatter map of the lunar nearside at 12.6-cm (S-band) wavelength and 40-m single-look horizontal spatial resolution.

Wells K. S. Campbell D. B. Campbell B. A. Carter L. M. Radar Circular Polarization Ratio Determination of Tycho Secondary Craters [#1778] We identify 128 small lunar craters in the Newton-A Crater basin within the furthest extent of a Tycho Crater ray and classify secondary craters within the population by their elongated CPR ejecta blankets parallel to the Tycho ray.

Thompson T. W. Campbell B. A. Ghent R. R. Hawke B. R. Differences in the Mega-Regolith Depth Across the Moon’s Southern Highlands [#1240] Differences in the frequencies of small (1–16 km diameter) radar-bright craters is not uniform across the southeastern nearside lunar highlands indicating a deeper megaregolith depth of 1 km associated with the South Pole Aitken Basin ejecta.

Chevrel S. D. Pinet P. C. Daydou Y. Le Mouélic S. Langevin Y. Costard F. Erard S. The Aristarchus Plateau on the Moon: Nature and Stratigraphy of the Substratum [#1234] From Clementine UVVIS and NIR spectral data, a statistical analysis and a mixture modeling, we present the mineralogy and the stratigraphy of the materials forming the substratum and volcanic deposits of the Aristarchus Plateau on the Moon.

Souchon A. L. Chevrel S. D. Pinet P. C. Daydou Y. H. Shevchenko V. V. Grieger B. Josset J. L. Beauvivre S. Shkuratov Y. Kaydash V. G. AMIE Team Characterization of the Optical Properties of J. Herschel Pyroclastic Deposit Using SMART-1/AMIE Photometric Data [#1237] SMART-1 data have been processed to estimate Hapke’s photometric parameters on the dark deposit located on the floor of Herschel Crater. The comparison with natural and synthetic terrestrial materials strengthens the case for a pyroclastic origin.

Hawke B. R. Giguere T. A. Lawrence S. J. Campbell B. A. Blewett D. T. Carter L. M. Gaddis L. R. Hagerty J. J. Lucey P. G. Peterson C. A. Smith G. A. Remote Sensing Studies of Pyroclastic Deposits in the Mare Humorum Region [#1146] The two large regional pyroclastic deposits are dominated by Fe2+-bearing pyroclastic glasses. Portions of the deposits are relatively thick and exhibit smooth, rock-poor surfaces that would be well suited for resource exploitation.

Weider S. Z. Crawford I. A. Joy K. H. Investigating Oceanus Procellarum Basalt Flows Using Integrated Clementine UV-VIS and NIR Data [#1573] We use UV-VIS and NIR data from Clementine to investigate the basaltic stratigraphy in a region of Oceanus Procellarum. This enables us to study the FeO and TiO2 compositions, major mafic mineralogy, and extent of space weathering of these deposits.

Srivastava N. Spectral Reflectance Studies for Maturation Trends in a Mare and Highland Swirl [#1577] Regions shielded by maximum magnetic field intensity in the proto type swirl Reiner Gamma and the one near Airy Crater, have been investigated for maturity trends. Both the cases show differences (though of reversed nature) from the trend seen in nearby unshielded areas.

FuPing G. YanMei Y. Geological Features Study of the Lunar Surface Using the Lunar Remote Sensing Data [#1457] Taking typical craters of lunar surface as the test areas, using the Clementine UVVIS, NIR and lidar data, we study the relationship between the geological features and physiognomy, analyze the rule of lithology or mineral distribution of the lunar.

Ambrose W. A. Distribution and Chronostratigraphy of Asymmetric Secondary Craters in the Nectaris Basin [#1015] The Nectaris Basin contains well-preserved examples of radially distributed, asymmetric secondary craters, scours, and crater chains. They are unique morphological features that constrain estimated ages of overlapped landforms in the basin.

Dominov E. Mest S. C. Geology of Antoniadi Crater, South Pole Aitken Basin, Moon [#1460] Antoniadi crater is unique for three reasons: 1) unique impact crater shape; 2) deep impact depth; and 3) smooth crater floor material. Research was done by utilizing ArcGIS program in mapping the ejecta blanket of Antoniadi and crater counting.

LUNAR SPECTROSCOPY

Cheek L. C. Pieters C. M. Dyar M. D. Milam K. A. Revisiting Plagioclase Optical Properties for Lunar Exploration [#1928] Preliminary NIR analyses of a suite of terrestrial plagioclase identify the 1.3 μm CF absorption and highlight the importance of constraining compositional controls on spectral features and effects of minor absorbing phases in transparent mediums.

Aarthy R. S. Sanjeevi S. Vijayan S. Krishnamurthy J. Spectral Studies of Anorthosite and Meteorite [#2216] The aim of this study is for the better understanding of the lunar highland surface. Thus for the study anorthosite and meteorite (not yet being approve) spectral studies were carried out.

Foote E. J. Paige D. A. Johnson J. R. Grundy W. M. Shepard M. T. The Bidirectional Reflectance of Apollo 11 Soil Sample 10084 [#2500] We measured the bidirectional reflectance of Apollo 11 soil sample 10084 using the Bloomsburg University Goniometer (BUG) and fit the measured reflectances using Hapke’s photometric model that includes the effects of large-scale roughness.

Li L. Lucey P. G. Quantifying TiO2 Abundance of Mare Soils: A Stratified Partial Least Squares Approach to Qualitative Interpretation [#2226] A stratified partial least squares approach is used for the estimation of mare soil samples and qualitative interpretation of the result is achieved using stepwise multivariate regression analysis.

Li L. Lucey P. G. Use of Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis and Radiative Transfer Model to Derive Lunar Mineral Abundance Maps [#1934] A new approach combining multiple endmemeber spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) and radiative transfer model (RTM) is proposed to generate lunar global mineral abundance maps from Clementine 1 km UVVIS data.

Hiroi T. Isaacson P. J. Klima R. L. Pieters C. M. Sarbadhikari A. B. Liu Y. Taylor L. A. Reproducing Visible and Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectra of Lunar Rocks Directly from Their End-Member Spectra: Importance of Ilmenite in Estimating the Lunar Surface Composition [#1723] Spectral mixing calculations have been performed on the bulk samples and major mineral separates of four Apollo basalts. The results demonstrate the importance of considering coexisting ilmenite in remotely estimating the lunar silicate composition.

Dhingra D. Lithological Mapping of Lunar Terranes using Hybrid Classification Approach [#1456] A new classification approach integrating mineralogy, elemental composition and maturity for lithological mapping on the lunar surface is discussed.

Donaldson Hanna K. L. Wyatt M. B. Helbert J. Maturilli A. Pieters C. M. Constraining Lunar Surface Mineralogy with Combined Thermal- and Near-Infrared Spectral Data [#2286] We examine the extent to which combined thermal- and near-infared anayses can be used to constrain the mineralogy of immature lunar surface lithologies using thermal infrared laboratory spectral measurements of minerals, a mineral mixture, and lunar highlands and mare soils.

Stockstill-Cahill K. R. Cahill J. T. S. Lucey P. G. Hawke B. R. Radiative Transfer Modeling of Lunar Hyperspectral Data [#1629] We have previously developed multispectral methods for deriving minerals from spectra. We are now extending these methods to continuous (hyperspectral) telescopic data for various locations on the nearside of the Moon.

LRO AND LCROSS

Mazarico E. Neumann G. A. Rowlands D. D. Lemoine F. G. Smith D. E. Zuber M. T. Multi-Beam Altimetric Crossovers for the Precision Orbit Determination of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [#2244] We study a new type of altimetric crossovers enabled by LOLA multi-beam configuration. Those use the cross-track information and can help the LRO goal of creating a new lunar reference frame by providing stronger constraints on the orbit.

Greenhagen B. T. Paige D. A. Overview of the 2009 LRO Diviner Lunar Radiometer Compositional Investigation [#2255] The Compositional Investigation will analyze data from Diviner’s nine spectral channels (0.3–300 μm). Diviner’s channels are sensitive to different aspects of composition and have the potential to enhance our understanding of the lunar surface.

Thomas I. R. Bowles N. E. Greenhagen B. T. Reflectance and Emission Measurements of Lunar Analogues for Interpretation of Returning Data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) [#2110] In support of the Diviner Compositional Investigation, spectra of many lunar analogues were measured from UV/VIS to FIR. Reflectance and emission spectra were found for samples with differing mineralogy and grain size, in various atmospheric pressures.

Sanin A. B. Boynton W. Evans L. Harshman K. Kozyrev A. Litvak M. Malakhov A. McClanahan T. Milikh G. Mitrofanov I. Mokrousov M. Sagdeev R. Shevchenko V. Schvetsov V. Starr R. Trombka J. Vostrukhin A. Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) for NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Searching for the Water Ice [#1249] The LEND instrument is orbital neutron telescope for orbital mapping of the Moon’s neutron albedo. The LEND instrument on board the NASA LRO spacecraft will measure neutron emission from the lunar surface and the local neutron background in orbit.

Lawrence S. J. Robinson M. S. Jolliff B. L. Bowman-Cisneros E. Tranh T. Stopar J. D. Hawke B. R. Thompson S. D. Koeber S. LROC Targeting Action Team Preparing to Scout the Next Frontier: Hardware and Operational Constraints Encountered During Targeting of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle Cameras [#2316] The two Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Narrow Angle Cameras (LROC-NAC) will take 0.5m/pixel images of the lunar surface. This abstract details the important hardware and operational constraints on LROC-NAC observations.

Jolliff B. L. Lawrence S. J. Stopar J. D. Robinson M. R. Gaddis L. R. Hawke B. R. Targeting the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Narrow Angle Cameras: Target Sources and Selection Strategy [#2343] Strategies and resources used by the LRO Camera Team in developing its exploration/science target list are presented.

Tschimmel M. Robinson M. S. Humm D. C. Denevi B. W. Lawrence S. J. Brylow S. Ravine M. Ghaemi T. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC): Ready for Rocks [#2475] The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) consists of three cameras: the Wide-Angle Camera and two identical Narrow Angle Cameras. This abstract describes the properties of the instruments and the results of the laboratory calibration efforts.

Heldmann J. L. Colaprete A. Wooden D. Asphaug E. Schultz P. Plesko C. S. Ong L. Korycansky D. Galal K. Briggs G. Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Mission: Opportunities for Observations of the Impact Plumes from Ground-based and Space-based Telescopes [#1898] The primary objective of the LCROSS mission is to investigate the presence or absence of water on the Moon. Ground-based and orbital observatories can observe the dust and water vapor plume caused by the two impacts into the lunar surface.

Ennico K. Colaprete A. Heldmann J. Kojima G. Lynch D. Shirley M. Wooden D. Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Science Payload Ground Development, Test, and Calibration [#1878] The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) is an impactor mission designed to target and impact a permanently shadowed region at a lunar polar latitude. This paper describes the payload, testing, and calibration.

Bart G. D. Colaprete A. Shadow Depths and Other Characteristics of Potential LCROSS Impact Sites [#2151] LCROSS impact site selection is critical to mission success. We discuss the critical constraints site selection, the ongoing work to characterize potential sites, and the most recent work of determining shadow depths at potential impact sites.

Summy D. Goldstein D. B. Colaprete A. Varghese P. L. Trafton L. M. LCROSS Impact: Dust and Gas Dynamics [#2267] We present results from simulations of the plume resulting from the impact of the LCROSS vehicle(s) into a shadowed lunar polar cold trap. Results may be of particular interest to those planning observations of the H2O, OH and dust plumes.

Hermalyn B. Schultz P. H. Heineck J. T. LCROSS Early-Time Ejecta Distribution: Predictions from Experiments [#2416] Experimental results of the early-time ejecta distribution from impacts of projectiles with a range of relative densities are presented, with implications and predictions for the upcoming LCROSS mission.

Thursday, March 26, 2009
POSTER SESSION 2:
PURSUING LUNAR EXPLORATION

Wilson T. L. Lee K. T. Photon Luminescence of the Moon [#1918] The space-radiation-induced photon luminescence existing on the Moon is derived from SEP and GCR sources. Its spectrum is present in the upper X-ray and lower γ-ray portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Dose mitigation measures are addressed.

Petro N. E. Bleacher J. E. Clark P. E. Mest S. C. Lewis R. Optimizing Lunar Surface Science: Comparison of Shackleton Base Scenario and Sortie Surface Scenarios at the Nectaris Basin, Marius Hills, and Olivine Hill [#2206] The work reported here responds to the need to provide the Constellation program with science requirements for a surface system architecture and metrics for surface operations. We compare surface scenarios for an outpost at Shackleton to three sorties.

Fong T. Broxton M. Deans M. C. Helper M. Hodges K. V. Schaber G. G. Schmitt H. H. Smith T. Traverse Planning for Robotic Recon and Human Exploration of Hadley Rille [#1233] We recently conducted a lunar traverse planning exercise at NASA Ames. The objective was to plan an EVA traverse for a hypothetical, manned mission to the Apollo 15 region and then identify where ground-level data (acquired by robotic scouting) would help refine the plan.

Ruberg R. Wood C. A. Reese D. D. Lightfritz C. Harrison A. MoonWorld: Virtual Fieldwork in Second Life [#2229] MoonWorld is a Second Life simulation that models the Moon as a tool for learning lunar science through virtual fieldwork. Avatars climb into craters to collect samples and observe structure to understand crater formation.

Boldoghy B. Kummert J. Varga T. P. Szilágyi I. Darányi I. Bérczi Sz. Varga T. N. Hudoba G. Jr. Buildings of Great Inner Space Created with Low Asset Requirement and High Efficiency for the Moon [#2458] For constructing lunar base buildings of great inner space we propose a plan, architectural concept, and building technology of using local materials by various technologies, baking, bagging and moving of the regolith to cover the building.

SOURCES AND ERUPTION OF LUNAR BASALTS

Arai T. Misawa K. Tomiyama T. Yoshitake M. Irving A. J. Constraints on Lunar KREEP Magmatism: A Variety of KREEP Basalt Derivatives in Lunar Meteorite NWA 4485 [#2292] Lunar meteorite NWA 4485 includes a variety of lithic clasts derived from KREEP magmatism. Pyroxene composition and zoning trends indicate that the KREEP basalt clasts in this meteorites are moderately equilibrated relative to Apollo KREEP basalts.

Burger P. V. Shearer C. K. Papike J. J. The Multi-Stage Cooling History of Lunar Meteorite NWA 032 as Recorded by Phenocrystic Olivine and Pyroxene [#2043] This study examines previously undocumented oscillatory zoning in phenocrystic pyroxene grains from lunar meteorite NWA 032, and its implication for the crystallization history of this sample.

Hauri E. H. Saal A. E. Van Orman J. Rutherford M. J. Friedman B. New Estimates of the Water Content of the Moon from Apollo 15 Picritic Glasses [#2344] In this abstract, we report the results of new SIMS measurements of water on over 200 new samples of picritic glasses recovered from the Apollo 15 mission. Our new measurements suggest an upward revsion of current estimates for the water content of lunar magmas.

van Kan Parker M. Agee C. B. van Westrenen W. Density of Molten "Apollo 17 Orange Glass" [#1722] The density of molten intermediate-high titanium bearing Apollo 17 orange glass was determined at lunar mantle pressures and temperatures using the sink/float technique.

van Kan Parker M. van Westrenen W. van Sijl J. Computational Study of Trace Element Partitioning Between Orthopyroxene and Melt: Implications for Substitution Mechanisms in Earth and Moon [#1714] A computational study of element partitioning between orthopyroxene and silicate melt highlighting the possible effects of iron content and charge balancing mechanisms on partition coefficients.

Krawczynski M. J. Sutton S. R. Grove T. L. Newville M. Titanium Oxidation State and Coordination in the Lunar High-Titanium Glass Source Mantle [#2164] XANES and EXAFS spectra from synthetic HiTi lunar glasses determine coordination of Ti in the HiTi source region. The amount of Ti3+ present affects the olivine-opx equilibrium, and the total amount of Ti3+ present requires a pyx bearing source.

Fernandes V. A. Korotev R. L. Renne P. R. 40Ar-39Ar Ages and Chemical Composition for Lunar Mare Basalts: NWA 4734 and NWA 4898 [#1045] 40Ar-39Ar ages are reported for lunar mare basalts NWA 4734 and NWA 4898. The age obtained for NWA 4734 is 2.766 ± 0.022 Ga (same as NWA 032/479) and for NWA 4898 is 3.520 ± 0.060 Ga, the same as Rb-Sr age reported by Gaffney et al. (2008).

Donohue P. Neal C. R. Apollo 17 High-Titanium Basalt Petrogenesis Revealed by Crystal Size Distributions and Mineral Geochemistry [#1805] Crystal size distributions (CSDs) and mineral geochemistry are presented for ilmenite crystals in a Type B2 (70275,35) lunar sample, and two Type C (74255,55 and 74275,312) lunar samples.

Liu Y. Spicuzza M. J. Valley J. W. Taylor L. A. Oxygen Isotopes of Lunar Rocks: Different Sources for Different Hi-Ti Basalts? [#2291] New oxygen isotopes of lunar mare basalts show difference among high-Ti basalts.

Haloda J. Tycova P. Thöni M. Jelenc M. The Petrogenesis and Chronology of Lunar Meteorite Northeast Africa 003-A: Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr Isotopic Studies [#1247] The Sm-Nd age of lunar mare basalt NEA 3.089 ± 0.064 Ga represents the crystallization age of the meteorite, suggesting that NEA 003-A can be a product of younger low-Ti mare basalt volcanism within the Apollo 15 olivine-normative basalt suite.

Wilson L. Head J. W. Lunar Volcanic Eruptions: Range of Eruption Styles and Implications for Magma Ascent and Emplacement [#1159] We characterize the range of volcanic feature morphologies observed on the Moon in a manner suitable to allow them to be related to the conditions under which eruptions and intrusions took place.

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE LUNAR REGOLITH

Spudis P. D. Taylor G. J. A Major KREEP-Basalt — Mare Basalt Unconformity on the Moon [#1039] The Station 2 boulder at Apollo 15 preserves a major 500 Ma unconformity between early Imbrian-age non-mare KREEP basalts and late Imbrian-age mare basalt. These samples may represent a paleoregolith, an ancient regolith preserved between two lava flows on the Moon.

McKay D. S. Cooper B. L. Riofrio L. M. New Measurements of the Particle Size Distribution of Apollo 11 Lunar Soil [#2051] We have initiated a major new program to determine the grain size distribution of nearly all lunar soils collected in the Apollo program. The use of a laser diffraction instrument improves upon previous work using sieving.

Johnson J. R. Shepard M. K. Paige D. A. Foote E. J. Grundy W. Spectrogoniometric Measurements and Modeling of Apollo 11 Soil 10084 [#1427] Laboratory visible/near-infrared multispectral goniometer observations of Apollo 11 soil 10084 were acquired using the Bloomsburg University Goniometer to provide constraints on Hapke radiative transfer models for comparison to lunar analog soils.

Seddio S. M. Jolliff B. L. Korotev R. L. Zeigler R. A. A Newly Characterized Granite from the Apollo 12 Regolith [#2285] The newly characterized lunar sample 12032,366-19 is a pristine lunar granite with a unique texture and mineral assemblage and no impact-generated glass or brecciated material.

Johnson D. Jolliff B. Zeigler R. Carpenter P. Distribution of Ti in Glass and Mineral Components of Lunar Soils 10084 and 71501; Grain Size Fraction 100 to 210 μm [#2346] The grain size and shape of ilmenite and the distribution of Ti in components of Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 soils are discussed.

Seddio S. M. Korotev R. L. Jolliff B. L. Zeigler R. A. Petrographic Diversity in Apollo 12 Regolith Rock Particles [#2415] A set of 52 lithic fragments of the Apollo 12 regolith are analyzed to understand the petrographic diversity that the site contains focusing on regolith breccias, KREEP impact-melt breccias and other high-Th samples, and basalts.

Ling Z. C. Wang A. Jolliff B. L. Li C. Liu J. Bian W. Ren X. Mu L. Su Y. Raman Spectroscopic Study of Quartz in Lunar Soils from Apollo 14 and 15 Missions [#1823] Quartz, a rare but important mineral indicator for Moon, is detected from soil 14163 and 15273 by Raman point-count procedures. The two major Raman peaks of quartz show considerable red shift, indicating different shock effect on these grains.

Isaacson P. J. Pieters C. M. Klima R. L. Hiroi T. Sarbadhikari A. B. Liu Y. Taylor L. A. The Lunar Rock and Mineral Characterization Consortium (LRMCC): Integrated Analyses and Mineral Endmembers from Mare Basalts [#1821] The LRMCC has conducted coordinated mineralogy/petrology and spectroscopy analyses of four lunar basalt samples and associated mineral separates. The dataset provides key ground truth and constraints on spectral mixing and space weathering models.

Nemchin A. A. Pidgeon R. T. Grange M. L. REE Patterns in Lunar Zircons [#1509] Zircon grains from breccia sample 14321 show significant REE variation, indicating that these zircons formed in the rocks with a wide compositional range.

Yakovlev O. I. Gerasimov M. V. Dikov Yu. P. Temperatures of Formation of HASP and GASP Particles [#1261] Comparison of chemical composition of HASP glasses and GASP particles with compositions of residual melt and corresponding equilibrium vapor for lunar mare basalt show correlation to experimental data at ~1870°–1650ºC and mass loss in the range 20–50%.

Edmunson J. Cohen B. A. Spilde M. N. Characterizing the Effect of Shock on Isotopic Ages I: Ferroan Anorthosite Major Elements [#2094] Ferroan anorthosites 62236 and 67075 do not show major element mobility due to shock in microprobe analysis. The shock pressure of 67075 is estimated at <50>

Sharp Z. D. Shearer C. K. Jr. Barnes J. D. The Chlorine Isotope Composition of the Moon [#2351] The chlorine isotope composition of leached pyroclastic glass (Apollo 17) were measured using gas source mass spectrometry and found to be -0.74‰ (vs. SMOC), different from bulk Earth (0‰). The Cl bulk concentration is 80 ± 20 ppm.

ten Kate I. L. Glavin D. P. VAPoR Team Evolved Gas Analysis of Two Lunar Simulants, Apollo 16 Regolith and a Carbonaceous Meteorite (Murchison) Using VAPoR [#2232] Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) on the Moon using mass spectrometry is one technique that should be considered for in situ analysis of lunar regolith. Here we present evolved gas analysis data obtained with the VAPoR breadboard.

LUNAR DUST AND
TRANSIENT SURFACE PHENOMENA

Wohl C. J. Belcher M. A. Hopkins J. W. Connell J. W. Topographical Modification of Materials for Lunar Dust Adhesion Mitigation [#1121] The surface energy of polymer films was reduced by topographical modification, towards lunar dust adhesion mitigation. Contact angle goniometry and microscopy characterized the modified surfaces. Laser ablation afforded high fidelity topographies.

Tranfield E. Rask J. C. Wallace W. T. Kerschmann R. Loftus D. J. Enhanced Chemical Reactivity of Crystalline Quartz by Mechanical Grinding [#2529] We have developed a technique for mechanically grinding crystalline silica which increases the chemical reactivity of the material as judged by the terephthalate assay. This technique uses a modern, commercially available ball mill.

Wallace W. T. Jeevarajan A. S. Understanding the Activation and Solution Properties of Lunar Dust for Future Lunar Habitation [#2483] Grinding of lunar dust results in increased hydroxyl radical production in solution. Lower pH and grinding causes lunar simulant to release increased amounts of ions into solution.

Horanyi M. Sternovsky Z. Gruen E. Srama R. Lankton M. Gathright D. The Lunar Dust EXperiment (LDEX) on the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission [#1741] LDEX is designed to map the variability of the spatial and size distributions of dust grains in the lunar environment.

Wilson T. L. Lunar Dust and Dusty Plasma Physics [#1314] Lunar dust is addressed using the physics of dusty plasmas. Equations for small dust grains on the Moon are given and related to MHD effects of plasma precipitation as it orbits through the Earth’s plasma sphere, magnetosphere, and the solar wind.

Taylor L. A. Liu Y. Zhang A. Shape and Size Relationship of Several Lunar Dusts: Preliminary Results [#2106] The abstract reports preliminary results of shape and size relationship of several lunar dusts.

Irwin S. A. Durrance S. T. Buhler C. R. Calle C. I. Method to Investigate the Charging of Lunar Dust Particles [#2521] Charging characteristics of lunar dust particles are studied experimentally with borosilicate glass beads in a constant electric field, within an environmental chamber at various humidities.

Cook A. C. Grande M. Preliminary Analysis of Transient Lunar Phenomena Catalog Data [#2429] We have completed a new catalog of Transient Lunar Phenomena and have performed an initial statistical analysis on this.

Crotts A. P. S. Berger A. Cecil G. Cseresnjes P. Ebel D. Hickson P. Joner M. Pfrommer T. Marka S. Morehead R. Radebaugh J. Schultz P. Status of a Program Monitoring Optical Lunar Surface Transients [#2373] We are observing the lunar near side intensively with a network of robotic imaging telescopes tuned to detect small transient changes in photometry (on timescales of ~1 to 100 min). We also describe a parallel program to detect quasi-permanent photometric surface changes.

Daly R. T. Radebaugh J. Austin D. E. Computational Study of the Lunar Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (LTMS): Meteorite Impacts and Outgassing Events [#2411] A miniature mass spectrometer uses imaging pattern analysis to determine the location, magnitude, and composition of meteorite impacts and regolith outgassing on the lunar surface. Simulations examine range, detection limit, and spatial resolution.

LUNAR DATABASES AND
DATA RESTORATION

Archinal B. Lunar Geodesy and Cartography Working Group Activities of the NASA LPRP Lunar Geodesy and Cartography Working Group [#2095] We describe the purpose, operation, activities, and future plans of the NASA Lunar Precursor Robotic Program Lunar Geodesy and Cartography Working Group. New standards/recommendations and the need to geodetically control lunar datasets are examined.

Gaddis L. Becker T. Weller L. Hare T. Isbell C. Lunar Orbiter Digital Frame Mosaics: Ready for Prime Time [#2437] This abstract announces the availability of Lunar Orbiter (LO) projected and cosmetically processed frame mosaics. Frames from medium- and high-resolution cameras from LO missions III, IV, and V are available via the Lunar Orbiter Frame Viewer web tool at USGS.

Williams D. R. Schultz A. B. Hills H. K. Guinness E. A. Lowman P. D. Taylor P. T. Restoration of Apollo Data by the PDS Lunar Data Node [#1991] The Lunar Data Node (LDN) has been formed to put relevant, scientifically important Apollo data into accessible digital form for use by researchers and mission planners. We will report on progress made since last year and plans for future data restorations.

Broxton M. J. Moratto Z. M. Nefian A. Bunte M. Robinson M. S. Preliminary Stereo Reconstruction from Apollo 15 Metric Camera Imagery [#2282] We present preliminary results from automated stereo processing of 70 image pairs from the Apollo 15 Metric Camera. Geo-registration of these data is discussed, as well as a new algorithm for improved sub-pixel stereo matching.

McClanahan T. P. Evans L. G. Starr R. D. Mitrofanov I. Fast Ray Tracing of Lunar Digital Elevation Models [#2092] Methods for optimizing ray-tracing processes for radiation analysis of digital elevation models (DEM)’s. Point-vector methods are demonstrated using Clementine DEM to determine degree of illumination as a function for large-scale DEM analysis, complex orbital ephemeris.

Lee E. M. Gaddis L. R. Weller L. Richie J. O. Becker T. Shinaman J. Rosiek M. R. Archinal B. A. A New Clementine Basemap of the Moon [#2445] The new basemap of the Moon based on ULCN2005 will be distributed through USGS Map-A-Planet web site (http://www.mapaplanet.org). The image geometry was verified for accuracy, and radiometric and photometric corrections applied and mosaicked.

Losiak A. Wilhelms D. E. Byrne C. J. Thaisen K. Weider S. Z. Kohout T. O’Sulllivan K. Kring D. A. A New Lunar Impact Crater Database [#1532] The aim of this abstract is to describe a new database of lunar impact craters which integrates information concerning the locations and ages of craters, as well as various measured and calculated physical characteristics.

METEORIC SAMPLES OF THE MOON

Korotev R. L. Zeigler R. A. Irving A. J. Bunch T. E. Keeping up with the Lunar Meteorites — 2009 [#1137] We report results of compositional analyses of 16 new lunar meteorite stones for which names have been approved since our report of last year and speculate about pairing relationships on the basis of composition and preliminary petrographic data.

Isaacson P. J. Liu Y. Patchen A. Pieters C. M. Taylor L. A. Integrated Analyses of Lunar Meteorites: Expanded Data for Lunar Ground Truth [#2119] Lunar meteorites are a valuable opportunity to expand our lunar sample library. We have conducted preliminary mineralogy/petrography/spectroscopy analyses needed to apply them as ground truth and to determine their geologic context with remote data.

Welten K. C. Owens T. L. DePaolo D. J. Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry Studies of Sm and Gd Isotopic Shifts in Lunar Meteorites Due to Neutron Capture: A Progress Report [#2449] We will present preliminary TIMS measurements of Sm and Gd isotopic shifts in lunar meteorites due to neutron-capture effects. These studies will provide more insight in the evolutionary history of meteorites on the lunar surface.

Carpenter P. K. Zeigler R. A. Jolliff B. L. Vicenzi E. P. Davis J. M. Donovan J. J. Advances in Electron-Probe Microanalysis and Compositional Mapping: Applications to Lunar Samples [#2531] Advances in instrumentation and analytical techniques using EPMA and XRF have been applied to the study of lunar samples. The analysis of multiphase sample volumes using defocused beam analysis presents a central problem to both microanalysis and the study of lunar samples.

Snape J. F. Joy K. H. Crawford I. A. A Trace-Element Investigation of Lunar Meteorite Northeast Africa 001 [#1539] A trace-element investigation of NEA 001 (a feldspathic polymict breccia). Our results have revealed that several VLT basalt clasts in the sample have unusual REE profiles and positive Eu anomalies.

Foreman A. B. Korotev R. L. Zeigler R. A. Wittmann A. Kring D. A. Irving A. J. Kuehner S. M. Petrographic and Geochemical Analysis of Feldspathic Lunar Meteorite Shisr 161 [#2304] We present petrographic and geochemical analyses of the lunar meteorite Shisr 161 — a feldspathic regolith breccia compositionally similar to the NWA 3163/4483/4881 granulites.

Takeda H. Karouji Y. Ogawa Y. Otsuki M. Yamaguchi A. Ohtake M. Arai T. Matsunaga T. Haruyama J. Iron Contents of Plagioclases in Dhofar 307 Lunar Meteorite and Surface Materials of the Farside Large Basins [#1565] FeO contents of clear plagioclase crystals in Dhofar 307 lunar meteorite, have been determined in connection with spectral data of the Kaguya mission and propose a model of formation of such breccia in a large basin of the farside.

Liu Y. Zhang A. Thaisen K. G. Anand M. Taylor L. A. Mineralogy and Petrography of a Lunar Highland Breccia Meteorite, MIL 07006 [#2105] Mineralogy and petrography of a new lunar feldsphathic breccia, MIL 07006.

Rahilly K. E. Treiman A. H. Granulite Clasts of Intermediate Mg* in Lunar Meteorite ALHA 81005: Chemical Compositions and Origins [#1168] Many granulite clasts in lunar highland meteorites have Mg* (molar Mg/(Mg + Fe)) between those of ferroan anorthosite (FAN) and magnesian anorthositic granulite (MAG). Compositions of these clasts are inconsistent with simple mixing of MAG and FAN, but require multiple origins.

Fernandes V. A. Irving A. J. Kuehner S. M. Gellissen M. Korotev R. L. Bandfield J. L. Petrology, Bulk Composition, Ar-Ar Age and IR Emission Spectrum of Lunar Granulite Northwest Africa 4881 [#2009] Petrology, bulk composition, 40Ar-39Ar age and IR emission spectrum data of lunar granulite Northwest Africa 4881 will presented and showing the combination of laboratory and remotely sensed data is idea to search for meteorite provenance.

Joy K. H. Burgess R. Hinton R. Fernandes V. A. Crawford I. A. Kearsley A. T. Irving A. J. EIMF Team U-Pb and Ar-Ar Chronology of Lunar Meteorite Northwest Africa 4472 [#1708] We report Ar-Ar and U-Pb chronology studies of KREEP-rich lunar meteorite NWA 4472.

Liu D. Wan Y. Zhang Y. Dong C. Jolliff B. L. Zeigler R. A. Korotev R. L. Age of Zircons in the Impact-Melt Breccia in SaU 169 Lunar Meteorite: Beijing SHRIMP II Study [#2499] Age dating of zircon grains using SHRIMP methods yields an age of 3918 Ma for the mafic impact-melt breccia lithology in SaU 169, which is chemically and petrographically identical to a group of impact melt breccias from Apollo 12.

Nishiizumi K. Caffee M. W. Vogel N. Wieler R. Leclerc M. D. Jull A. J. T. Exposure History of Lunar Meteorite Northwest Africa 5000 [#1476] Cosmogenic radionuclides and noble gases were measured in NWA 5000. After ~600 Myr residence in the lunar regolith, it was ejected from a depth of ~335 g/cm2 on the Moon. The minimum transit time was 1.3 kyr with a short terrestrial age.

Friday, March 27, 2009
PLANNING FOR FUTURE
EXPLORATION OF THE MOON

Chairs: Jacob Bleacher & Noah Petro

Neal C. R. The Lunar Exploration Roadmap: A Progress Report from the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) [#2558] The paper is a summary of progress to date of progress of LEAG in developing a grassroots community Lunar Exploration Roadmap.

Stubbs T. J. Glenar D. A. * Richard D. T. Colaprete A. Predictions for the Optical Scattering at the Moon, as Observed by the LADEE UV/Vis Spectrometer [#2348] Predictions are made for exospheric atomic line emissions, coronal and zodiacal light, as well as for "lunar horizon glow" produced by the forward scattering of sunlight by exospheric dust.

Halekas J. S. * Delory G. T. Stubbs T. J. Farrell W. M. Lin R. P. Developing a Predictive Capability for Lunar Surface Charging During Solar Energetic Particle Events [#1357] We investigate lunar surface charging during solar energetic particle events, with the aim of developing a predictive capability. The lunar surface can charge to kilovolt-scale negative potentials during these events, which has possible implications for lunar exploration.

Xiao Z. * Zeng Z. Xie H. Birnbaum S. J. Zhang Z. A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Lunar-Dust Movement on the Lunar Magnetic Field [#1227] Result from our model, the Electromagnetic Induction Model of Charged Active Lunar Dust, suggests the movement of lunar dust has influenced the lunar magnetic field and the influence is not negligible.

Kuhlman K. R. * Sridharan K. Garrison D. H. McKay D. S. Taylor L. A. Decay of Reactivity Induced by Simulated Solar Wind Implantation of a Forsteritic Olivine [#2303] LADTAG is studying the lifetime of reactive sites on the surfaces of irradiated lunar analogs of interest to those studying human health because of the free radicals that may be formed and not passivate when exposed to spacecraft air.

Siegler M. A. * Bills B. G. Paige D. A. History of the Lunar Polar Cryosphere [#2259] Cold traps near the lunar poles have not always existed due to changes in the lunar orbit. We examine a 4.5 Byr history of insolation in the lunar polar environment and the resulting surface and subsurface temperatures to comment on ice mobility.

Hibbitts C. A. * Dyar M. D. Orlando T. M. Grieves G. Szanyi J. Cold Trapping of Volatiles in the Lunar Regolith [#1926] Water may cold trap (cryosorb) onto non-ice materials at the lunar poles, and not exist as ice. Water can remain present, adsorbed onto the samples, at several 10s of degrees above which its ice would sublime, but not at or near room temperature.

Fouch M. J. * Garnero E. J. Robinson M. S. Yu H. A New Paradigm for Seismic Exploration of the Moon, Mars, and Beyond [#2233] In this abstract, we propose a new approach to seismic exploration of the Moon using arrays of seismic systems, which we term Small Aperture Lunar Seismic Arrays (SALSAs).

Li R. * Wu B. He S. Skopljak B. Yilmaz A. Jiang J. Banks M. S. Oman C. Bhasin K. B. Warner J. D. Knoblock E. J. LASOIS: Enhancing the Spatial Orientation Capabilities of Astronauts on the Lunar Surface [#1191] This paper presents the initial efforts in developing a Lunar Astronaut Spatial Orientation and Information System (LASOIS) to enhance the spatial-orientation capabilities of astronauts on the lunar surface to support future lunar manned missions.

Kohout T. * O’Sullivan K. Losiak A. Thaisen K. G. Weider S. Kring D. A. Scientific Opportunities for Human Exploration of the Moon’s Schrödinger Basin [#1572] The Schrödinger Basin provides a diverse suite of scientific opportunities because of the superposition of several geologic processes and because of its relatively young age. Three possible landing sites were evaluated for human exploration.

Clark P. E. * Bleacher J. Mest S. Petro N. Leshin L. Lunar Field Exploration Scenarios for a South Pole Outpost [#1135] Three major 10–100’s km scale field science thrusts could address high priority science objectives from the outpost: 1) SPA Basin structure (Malapert, Schrodinger); 2) Bombardment history, South Pole Highlands; 3) Volatile anomaly and inventory study.

Bleacher J. * Clark P. E. Mest S. Petro N. Leshin L. Lunar Field Exploration Scenarios for Three Sorties [#2148] We report the planning of three representative science objective-driven Apollo J scale (10 km radius) sortie missions to sites of potentially high science yield (Marius Hills, Olivine Hill, Nectaris Basin) to supplement outpost activity.

Yingst R. A. * Gregg T. K. P. Lunar Geologic Mapping: A Preliminary Map of a Portion of the Marius Quadrangle [#1319] As part of a new lunar mapping program, we report on a 1:2,500,000-scale preliminary map of a subset of Lunar Quadrangle 10 and discuss the first-order science results.

PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE
IN PRINT ONLY: THE MOON

Abdrakhimov A. M. Re-Examine Lunokhod Sites: Old and New Geochemical Data [#2547] The geochemical comparing of soviet lunar rovers data and Clementine data were executed.

Evans R. Wöhler C. Lena R. Analysis of Absorption Trough Features Using Clementine UVVIS+NIR Imagery [#1093] This study explores the mapping of spectral parameters of lunar features, describing the absorption trough near 1000 nm, using the calibrated Clementine UVVIS+NIR data set covering the wavelength range between 415 and 2000 nm.

Peters S. Foing B. H. Koschny D. Grieger B. Lossett J.-L. Beauvivre S. Grande M. Huovelin J. Keller H. U. Mall U. Nathues A. Malkki A. Noci G. Sodnik Z. Kellett B. Pinet P. Chevrel S. Cerroni P. de Sanctis M. C. Barucci M. A. Erard S. Despan D. Muinonen K. Shevchenko V. Shkuratov Y. Ellouzi M. Peters S. Borst A. Bexkens F. Almeida M. Frew D. Volp J. Heather D. McMannamon P. Camino O. Racca G. SMART-1: Review of Lunar Highlights [#2298] The SMART-1 spacecraft operated from 400-3000 km for 1.5 year until impact. We shall report at LPSC2009 on SMART-1 lunar highlights relevant for science and exploration, in relation with subsequent missions Kaguya, Chang’E1 and Chandrayaan-1.

Ivatury V. McClanahan T. P. Image Restoration of Lunar Neutron Albedo Maps for the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) [#1134] Determine the optimal image restoration technique for restoring the hydrogen lunar albedo maps for the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

Khisina N. Nazarov M. Senin V. Mohov A. Cr-Ca Symplectite Lamellea in an Olivinen Grain from the Luna-24 Regolith [#1053] Lamellae of Cr-Ca symplectites consisted of spinel + diopside + ortopyroxene + larnie in the olivine grain from Luna-24 regolith were investigated using of EMPA and ASEM. The origin of the Ca-Cr symplectite lamellae is discussed.

Lena R. Wöhler C. Effusive Lunar Domes Near Kepler and Piccolomini: Morphometry and Mode of Emplacement [#1092] In this study we provide a comparative morphometric and rheologic analysis of two lunar effusive domes, located in Oceanus Procellarum to the west of the crater Kepler, and inside Rupes Altai near the crater Piccolomini, respectively.

McCallum I. S. Mullen E. K. Mare Basalt Petrogenesis Revisited: Rb/Sr, Sm/Nd and Lu/Hf Fractionation Factors, Mantle Source Regions and Crustal Contamination [#2380] Fractionation factors (Rb/Sr, Sm/Nd, Lu/Hf) of mare basalts at the time of formation constrain the mineralogy and melt fraction of mantle sources. For all but high-K basalts, mantle residues are harzburgitic. High-K basalts are KREEP contaminated.

Pugacheva S. G. Shevchenko V. V. Chikmachev V. I. The Dependence of the Chemistry on the Depth for the South Pole-Aitken Lunar Basin [#1109] The distribution of the major chemical elements (Fe and Th) depending upon the structure height levels of the South Pole-Aitken Lunar Basin, has been obtained.

Shevchenko V. El-Baz F. Gaddis L. Hiesinger H. Shkuratov Yu. Whitaker E. Wilson L. Blue J. The IAU/WGPSN Lunar Task Group and the Status of Lunar Nomenclature [#2016] This abstract summarizes the rules for naming features on planets as well as the status of nomenclature for the Moon.

Wöhler C. Lena R. The Lunar Concentric Crater Archytas G Associated with an Intrusive Dome [#1091] In this study we show that the lunar concentric crater Archytas G is associated with the intrusive dome Ar1. We estimate the morphometric parameters of Archytas G and Ar1 and discuss possible modes of formation for the concentric crater.

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XL (2009)
- Presentations related to the study of the Moon -