Lunar laser ranging by optical transponder collocated with VLBI radio sources on the moon

Taizoh Yoshino; Ulrich Schreiber; Nobuyuki Kawano; Hiroo Kunimori; Jun Amagai; Tetsuya Kondo; Takahiro Iwata; Wolfgang Schlueter; John J. Degnan

doi:10.1117/12.373027

15 December 1999 Lunar laser ranging by optical transponder collocated with VLBI radio sources on the moon

Taizoh Yoshino, Ulrich Schreiber, Nobuyuki Kawano, Hiroo Kunimori, Jun Amagai, Tetsuya Kondo, Takahiro Iwata, Wolfgang Schlueter, John J. Degnan

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3865, Laser Radar Ranging and Atmospheric Lidar Techniques II; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.373027
Event: Remote Sensing, 1999, Florence, Italy

Abstract

The lunar laser ranging (LLR) has been dependent on the retro-reflectors placed on the Moon since the past three decades before. In spite of the technical improvement, regular observations are performed by a limited number of stations due to the weak echo. To allow more opportunities for observations, it is most effective to place modern device on the Moon. Since a Japanese second lunar probe is planned to be launched in 2006, the ideas are collected for scientific purposes. It is described here that an optical transponder on the Moon would enhance the possibility of LLR observations to a large degree. It is also proposed to have three radio sources on the Moon to determine the angular component perpendicular to the Earth-Moon vector and librations. One of the most important scientific targets for the proposed mission is a relativistic experiment which was not attained by a conventional LLR.

Citation Download Citation

Taizoh Yoshino, Ulrich Schreiber, Nobuyuki Kawano, Hiroo Kunimori, Jun Amagai, Tetsuya Kondo, Takahiro Iwata, Wolfgang Schlueter, and John J. Degnan "Lunar laser ranging by optical transponder collocated with VLBI radio sources on the moon", Proc. SPIE 3865, Laser Radar Ranging and Atmospheric Lidar Techniques II, (15 December 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.373027

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