Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Passes Preliminary Design Review


Already it is half way through February in year 2006 so year 2008 doesn't seem all that far away when the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is to launch.

I think that what is found by the LRO will have much to do with what might be accomplished later, now if someone else gets the data before the LRO then the gauntlet will be thrown down.

I hope we see some info from SMART-1 and others as they go to the Moon as well. - LRK -

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http://www.ssc.se/data/content/DOCUMENTS/200482093348473Lunar%20Conference%20%20%20Smart.pdf
[PDF 403 KB]
PAYLOADS ON-BOARD THE SMART-1 SPACECRAFT S/C interface, integration, test and early operations
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http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2006/pdf/1920.pdf
ESA'S SMART-1 MISSION: LUNAR SCIENCE RESULTS AFTER ONE YEAR
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Now what do you want to see at the first Lunar Base camp?

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsltr.: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update
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http://www.physorg.com/news11155.html
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Passes Preliminary Design Review PhysOrg.com - Evergreen,VA,USA NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team said Friday it has completed its preliminary design review as part of the mission confirmation process. ...

The first in a series of robotic missions to the moon, the LRO is scheduled
for launch in October 2008. It will carry six science instruments and a
technology demonstration.

The mission goal is to develop new approaches and technologies to support
the effort to send humans back to the Moon and to Mars as part of the Bush
administration's Space Exploration Vision.

The team completed the review on Feb. 9, and it will release the results,
along with ongoing assessments of project cost and schedule, as part of a
confirmation review, sometime this spring.

At that point, NASA' officials must decide whether to authorize additional
work and must set the project's cost estimate.

The mission's critical design review is scheduled for fall, and will
represent the completion of detailed system design, the transition to
assembly and integration of the mission elements.

Copyright 2006 by Space Daily, Distributed United Press International
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http://lro.larc.nasa.gov/
Introduction:

In January 2004 the President of the United States decided to advance U.S.
scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space
exploration program that integrates human and robotic exploration
activities. This decision was documented by President's Space Exploration
Policy Directive (NPSD31), signed into effect on January 2004. Subsequent to
these decisions, NASA established an independent advisory group entitled the
LRO ORDT (Objectives/Requirements Definition Team) that met in March to
define the specific objectives for the 2008 mission, the first of a series
of missions to the moon. This first mission is dedicated to obtaining the
applied science/engineering measurements needed for future exploration. To
maximize the data return for this mission, NASA intends to solicit and
competitively select the measurement investigations for the payload that
best meet the objectives of this mission. The Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC) has been designated by NASA to lead this mission and will provide
both the Spacecraft and the Launch Services for the mission (these will not
be competed).

Snip.
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http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/060207_lro_technology.html
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Searching For A 'New Moon'
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 08 February 2006
07:20 am ET

NASA's back to the Moon adventure is being kick-started by the building of
the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. That probe is the opening volley of
spacecraft in response to President George W. Bush's multi-billion dollar
Vision for Space Exploration that he outlined in January 2004.
A goal of the Vision is returning humans to the Moon as early as 2015 and no
later than 2020.

To make that happen, starting no later than 2008, a series of robotic
missions will be sent to the lunar surface "to research and prepare for
future human exploration," Bush proclaimed.

This week, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) begins a preliminary
design review. A process that is sure to reflect the financial stress and
strain status of NASA's newly issued budget for fiscal year 2007.

Snip.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050104072821.htm
Posted: January 5, 2005

NASA Selects Investigations For Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA has selected six proposals to provide instrumentation and associated
exploration/science measurement investigations for the Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter (LRO), the first spacecraft to be built as part of the Vision for

Space Exploration

The LRO mission is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2008 as part of NASA's
Robotic Lunar Exploration Program. The mission will deliver a powerful
orbiter to the vicinity of the moon to obtain measurements necessary to
characterize future robotic and human landing sites. It also will identify
potential lunar resources and document aspects of the lunar radiation
environment relevant to human biological responses.

Proposals were submitted to NASA in response to an Announcement of
Opportunity released in June 2004. Instrumentation provided by these
selected measurement investigations will be the payload of the mission
scheduled to launch in October 2008.

"The payload we have selected for LRO builds on our collective experience in
remote sensing of the Earth and Mars," said NASA's Deputy Associate
Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Ghassem Asrar. "The
measurements obtained by these instruments will characterize in
unprecedented ways the moon's surface and environment for return of humans
in the next decade," he added.

"LRO will deliver measurements that will be critical to the key decisions we
must make before the end of this decade," said NASA's Associate
Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Craig
Steidle. "We are extremely excited by this innovative payload, and we are
confident it will fulfill our expectations and support the Vision for Space
Exploration," Steidle added.

"The instruments selected for LRO represent an ideal example of a dual use
payload in which exploration relevance and potential scientific impact are
jointly maximized," NASA's Chief Scientist, Dr. Jim Garvin said. "I am
confident LRO will discover a 'new moon' for us, and in doing so shape our
human exploration agenda for our nearest planetary neighbor for decades to
come," he said.

The selected proposals will conduct Phase A/B studies to focus on how
proposed hardware can best be accommodated, completed, and delivered on a
schedule consistent with the mission timeline. An Instrument Preliminary
Design Review and Confirmation for Phase C Review will be held at the
completion of Phase B.

Selected investigations and principal investigators:

Snip.
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http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/water_on_moon.html?2042005
Is There Water on the Moon?

Wed, 20 Apr 2005 - NASA's Lunar Prospector hinted at the possibility that
there are pockets of water ice in permanently shadowed craters at the Moon's
poles. These reservoirs of water would be and invaluable supply of drinking
water and air for astronauts, as well as the raw material for propellants.
Scientists just need to confirm that it's there. NASA will be sending a new
spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, in 2008. It'll have four
separate instruments capable of detecting water. So, we might know the
answer soon.

Snip.
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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
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