International Lunar Observatory
Advisory
Committee Workshop, 17-20 November 2005
ANALYSIS OF PROJECT
“INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY”
Viacheslav
V. Ivashkin
M.V.
Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics
Miusskaya
Sq. 4,
E-mail: Ivashkin@spp.Keldysh.ru
ABSTRACT. Some results in analysis of a Project
“International Lunar Observatory” are presented in the Paper.
Scientific
and technical problems of the lunar telescope - its scientific objectives, the
wavelengths, and its main characteristics - are discussed in the first part.
The spacecraft design, the launcher
choice, the space flight scheme are considered then.
Possible taking part in
the Project for some Russian companies in frame of the international
cooperation is suggested and analyzed in the final part of the Paper.
Key words: International Lunar Observatory (ILO), Lunar Telescope, Earth-to-Moon Flight.
1. INTRODUCTION..………………………………………..………..3
3. SPACECRAFT DESIGN…………………………………………...7
4. PROBLEM OF INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION..…….…….9
5. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………..9
6.
REFERENCES…………………………………………………….10
1.
INTRODUCTION
The
idea to create and send to the Moon the International Lunar Observatory (ILO)
given by the Lunar Enterprise Corporation/Space Age Publishing Company (Steve
M. Durst and Colleagues, [1]) seems to be very interesting and useful for both
Science (Monitoring of Asteroid-Comet Hazard for the Earth, Astronomy,
Astrophysics, e.g.) and Space Technology. The general public may be interested
in this Project, too.
The Paper gives some results in analysis of a Project for the International Lunar
Observatory. They are: the problems of the Lunar telescope, its scientific
objectives and main characteristics; the spacecraft design, the choice of a
rocket and a scheme of the flight; international cooperation.
2.
LUNAR TELESCOPE
2.1. Scientific objectives of the
ILO
A regular survey of the
sky to search new celestial objects in our Solar System (asteroids and
comets approaching the Earth, in particular [2]) could be interesting and
very important goal (may be, the main one) for the lunar robotic observatory. New
astrophysical objects outside the Solar System (Gamma-ray bursts,
Supernovae, in particular) can be detected by this survey, too. The telescope
has to operate completely automatically. To realize these objectives fully, the
ILO project can include landing two telescopes on the Moon, near both the South
Pole (probably, on Malapert Mountain [3]) and the North one. After detection
and observation of any new celestial object by the lunar survey telescope, this
information would be sent to the Earth for large telescopes to determine better
its characteristics.
Optical (visible light) wavelengths (may be with UV and near IR) are desirable for the telescope taking into
consideration the objectives shown.
The Lunar station with the
telescope has to be also supplied by solar panels as the source of
the energy for the spacecraft and the thermal defense from direct
solar heating depending on a landing place at the Moon. A good information
system with an onboard computer supplied by the special software
should be realized at the station, too, to perform the real-time processing and
analysis of the observations and to correct the observation program in case of
necessity. The station has to be supplied by a radio system to support
the connection with the Earth and transmit there the scientific information, in
particular. The Lunar station has also to include the pointing devices
for the telescope and for the solar panels.
2.2. Characteristics of the Telescope
Two different telescope systems for this survey
are shown here.
a) “Master”
- Mobile Astronomical System of Telescopes-Robots
- is designed by the Sternberg State Astronomical Institute of the Lomonosov Moscow State
University, and by the Moscow Union “Optica”, Russia (V.M. Lipunov, S.M. Bodrov, G.V. Borisov, V.G.
Kornilov, A.V. Krylov, et al. [4-8]). This system is
operating in optical range, completely automatically, has a wide field of view
(6-20 square degrees) and can register the sky objects up to 20m in
the sky area of 1,500 square degrees per hour, with the estimation accuracy of
0.1 arcsec. Special software for the real-time processing and analysis of
observations is developed and being used in the system. For a main telescope of
the system: diameter is of
b) Another wide-field optical system was made
in Russia by Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences (Dr. Bagrov
A.V. and colleagues) and “Kosmoten” company [12].
It may be developed for
the space survey of the sky. For this case, an analysis performed by Dr. Bagrov
A.V. has given the following parameters of the telescope [13]. It is operating
in optical range, has a wide field of view (about 9 linear degrees) and can
register the sky objects up to 17m per 1/25 sec, with pixel size of
90 arcsec. Telescope’s mass is about
3.
SPACECRAFT DESIGN
Russian specialists have well known
good experience in Lunar studies. In the Russian Federal Space Program now
there is the Project “Luna-Glob” for wide studies of the Moon, with landing a
scientific station near the Lunar Pole, in particular. Lavochkin Association
(Russian Space Agency, http: //www.laspace.ru)
performs designing of this spacecraft. Figures 3, 4 give a picture and a scheme
of the flight for this spacecraft [14, 15].
These
results can be used to design the spacecraft for the International Lunar Observatory (ILO). In particular, flights to the Moon using rockets “Dnepr”
and “Soyuz” can be analyzed.
Preliminary
analysis showed that using the rocket “Dnepr” with the spacecraft mass of about
In particular, scheme of the flight can
be optimized, too. For example, approximate analysis performed for the soft
landing of the Luna-9 station [16] showed that using the long-time detour
trajectories with the capture by the Moon (like the Hiten flight, Fig. 5
[17]) resulted in increasing the final mass from
Using
the Launcher “Soyuz-Fregat” can definitely solve the problem of the spacecraft
ILO.
4.
PROBLEM OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Some Russian organizations and institutes could be
involved in this Project ILO, in particular:
Institute
of Astronomy,
Keldysh
Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM RAS) – to perform the ballistic
analysis of the Project, to analyze the spacecraft trajectory, to perform the
mission control in the real time of the flight, to analyze the results of lunar
observations;
Lavochkin
Association (Russian Space Agency) – to perform analysis of the Project, to choose
the rockets, to design the spacecraft and its landing system, to take part in
the mission control;
Mission
Control Center (TsUP, Russian Space Agency) – to perform the mission control in the
real time of the flight: to determine (from the measurement data) the real
orbit and the control data for the maneuvers of corrections, decelerations,
landing, etc.;
Sternberg
State Astronomical Institute of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (GAISh
MGU) – to design the telescope, to analyze the results of lunar observations.
5.
CONCLUSION
The
Project of the International Lunar Observatory gives very good prospects for
Science and Technology as well as for the general public. It gives some
problems in Technology, of course. But this Project can be realized quickly
enough if the modern achievements and international cooperation are used.
Russian specialists can take part in this Project.
Author thanks the Lunar Enterprise Corporation/Space Age Publishing
Company (Steve M. Durst and Colleagues) for
invitation to the Workshop, as well as Prof. Bagrov A.V., Prof. Bochkarev N.G.,
Prof. Lipunov V.M., Prof. Pichkhadze K.M. and Prof. Terebizh V.Yu. for the help in analysis of the
problem.
6.
REFERENCES
1.
ILO – http://www.spaceagepub.com/ilo/ilo.home.html
2.
S. Isobe, M. Yoshikawa. Asteroids Approaching the Earth from Directions around the Sun. Earth,
Moon and Planets, 72. 1996. Pp. 263-266.
3.
B.L. Sharp, D.G. Schrunk, and M.
Thangavelu. Lunar
reference Mission: Malapert Station. Proceedings of the International Lunar
Conference 2003, American Astronautical Society, Science and Technology Series,
Vol. 108, edited by S.M. Durst, et al. 2004. AAS 03-734, pp. 259-264.
4.
V.M. Lipunov, V.G. Kornilov, A.V. Krylov, G.B.
Borisov, et al.
MASTER: The Mobile Astronomical System of Telescope-Robots. Optical
Observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts. Astrophysics, Vol. 48, N. 3, Aug. 2005. Pp
389-399.
5.
V.M. Lipunov. “MASTER” – space control system with the help of
telescopes-robots. All-Russian Conference “Asteroid-Hazard –
6.
http://www.sai.msu.ru - MASTER
9.
V.Yu. Terebizh. Mirror-lens telescopes of diffraction quality with
spherical surfaces. News of Crimea Astrophysical Observatory, V. 97, 2001,
101-113.
10.
V.Yu. Terebizh. Modern Optical Telescopes.
Moscow, Phyzmatlit, 2005, 80 p.
11.
http://www.terebizh.ru/V.Yu.T
12.
A.V. Bagrov,
G.M. Beskin, A. Biryukov, et al. Wide-field rapid optical camera for detection and observation of gamma-ray bursts and moving objects. Conference “Near-Earth Astronomy-
13.
A.V. Bagrov. Limiting Magnitude of Electro-Optical
System for Detection of Decameter Near-Earth Celestial Bodies. Private
communication. In Press: Solar System Research, 2006, 4 p.
14.
E.M. Galimov. State of the Planetary Researches
in Russia (“Phobos-SR” and “Luna-Glob” Projects). Proceedings of the
International Lunar Conference 2003, American Astronautical Society, Science
and Technology Series, Vol. 108, edited by S.M. Durst, et al. 2004. AAS 03-702,
pp. 23-31.
15. K.M. Pichkhadze, A.A. Moisheev. G.N. Babakin - main Designer of
automatic spacecrafts for studies of Moon, Mars, and Venus; and using his
experience in modern activity of Lavochkin Association. The XXIX Academic
Readings in Astronautics, Moscow, Jan.
16. V.V. Ivashkin. On the Earth-to-Moon Trajectories with Temporary
Capture of a Particle by the Moon. Presented at the 54th Intern.
Astronautical Congress, 29 Sept.-3 Oct.
2003, Bremen, Germany. a) Paper IAC-03-A.P.01. 9 p.
á) http://
pdfcruncher.aiaa.org/upload2pdf/ManuscriptStorage/Man16100.pdf
17. Uesugi, Kuninori. Space Odyssey of
an Angel – Summary of the Hiten’s Three Years Mission. Presented at the
AAS/GSFC International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics, 1993, Paper AAS
93-292. 20 p.