Citation
Abstract
This article describes experimental results of the measurement campaign to quantify multipath fading effects between the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Deep Space Network (DSN) when the spacecraft sets behind or rises from the back-side of the Moon. This article presents, therefore, experimental scientific results involving multi-path fading and terrain characterization at the lunar south pole, while a companion paper provides a description of the experiment concept. All experiments were conducted opportunistically, meaning that they did not impose any operational constraints or requirements on LRO. Consequently, the approach expedited the measurement campaign, but also limited the resulting science output. In this report, we discuss the results from the bistatic radar measurements regarding the scattering area estimation and the signatures of lunar surface roughness observed on the Doppler Spread (DS) and the Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR). These measurements provide opportunistic information that has the potential to be used to better understand the Moon’s surface roughness at scales of ~13.2 cm for future human exploration missions.
Details
- Volume
- 42-226
- Published
- August 15, 2021
- Pages
- 1–22
- File Size
- 6.0 MB