SMART-1 extended mission

brellis · Oct 30, 2005

Has anyone heard updates on the longterm plan for SMART-1? There was an article somewhere that suggested its orbit could be adjusted so that over a long time it would very gradually get closer to the surface of the moon. One cool payoff for this extended mission would be closeup pics of some of the Apollo landing sites. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

brellis · Oct 31, 2005

Thanks for your post. I'm familiar with the ESA site, but there was some other article a year or two ago, in which it was described that SMART-1 could take several years to spiral in, snapping photos from really close to the surface. It sounds like they got it in a decent trajectory, maybe not the best one possible for this part of the mission. They must have used a little more juice to get it this far, but I guess one can still hope that they'll get some good closeups of future landing sites as well as Apollo sites in the next year. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

brellis · Jul 15, 2006

I'm bumping my own thread, if that's anatomically possible <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I keep looking for more photos of the Apollo landing sites, and other lunar close-ups. Those dang ESA cats are sure taking their time with these images! Here is the space.com article. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

henryhallam · Jul 15, 2006

I don't think you would see much from SMART's initial science orbit, particularly since it doesn't have a very big telescope on its camera. Might get something better from the ~10km passes if they happen to go over any of the landing sites. I expect that a large part of the purpose of photographing the landing sites is not to look for the spacecraft but to study the geology of the area from above with spectrometers etc, since this can be usefully correlated with data and samples gathered in situ. This sort of thing could give useful results even from highish orbits where you couldn't resolve the spacecraft very clearly. Keen to see the images of course! ESA aren't as good as NASA for getting them out quickly.

brellis · Jul 15, 2006

The main ESA Portal is releasing images from SMART-1. I think they need some help with Web design in addition to rapid image-releasing <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> They will crash it onto the lunar surface on September 1, so we should expect ESA to release those photos by the end of 2008, lol. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

brellis · Jul 20, 2006

ESA has released a map of the final laps around the moon before SMART-1 crashes to the surface. At the start of the mission, they thought they might have enough juice to verrrrrry gradually lower the orbit. At least they'll get one good shot at some extreme closeups of the lunar surface. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

brellis · Aug 24, 2006

Best Flick of the summer? ESA Smart-1's The Final Descent coming soon to a Lunar Surface near you! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

JonClarke · Aug 24, 2006

"I think they need some help with Web design in addition to rapid image-releasing." If they had a bigger PR budget I am sure they would. In the meantime I would rather they put the money to flying great missions - which is what they are doing. Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

brellis · Aug 28, 2006

I completely agree with your sediments <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> about prioritizing budget $$ towards cool missions, but how much would it cost to hire a kid to do a web page! As evidenced by my persistent posting on SMART-1, I'm an admirer and fan of ESA's efforts; in fact I am politically much more pro-Europe than the typical American citizen (I never stopped calling them French Fries! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> ), but there's something ironic about having the technological precision to send a craft through the complex maneuvers that SMART-1 has been through, but to not be sure if the thing is going to slam into an unforeseen mountain. It remains frustrating trying to get the kind of details easily available from NASA/JPL Mission Web Sites. How many pictures will they be able to get on these final passes? How many pics from previous passes are they still 'processing' and withholding from the public? Even the Soviet Union didn't hold their cards so close! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

JonClarke · Aug 28, 2006

I think it would take a bit more than a smart kid to do what NASA does. But you could also argue that what good has it done NASA? Apart from NASA-phile space nuts like us, anti-NASA feeling is still extraordinarily high, whether from the naive let-private-industry-do-everything of one side and the NASA-is-a-grand-conspiracy paranoia on the other. ESA has decided to focus it's releases on the actual stake holders, the scientific community. SMART-1 and MEx data is regular released at 6 month intervals, it's just not in a format easily accessible by the general public. In contrast JAXA does not release data until it has been published. The Russians have not done a planetary mission for a while and the Chinese and Indians have yet to do so, but I suspect the best we can expect is something like JAXA. Let's face it, NASA indulges us (not that I have complaining <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> ). It just I don't think we should not expect it as a norm. But then I am of the generation to that got the patest news from the papers and waited for detailed information in monthly magazines like National Geographic so am easily pleased. Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

brellis · Aug 28, 2006

WARNING: PORTIONS OF THIS POST MAY BE INTERPRETED TO BE OFF-TOPIC AND SUBJECT TO S.D.C RULES OF ENGAGEMENT <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> Hi Jon Regarding privatization of space aw c'mon boo boo, don't feel too neg about public opinion. Fortunately, it has little to do with longterm planning -- witness the largescale public opp to the Iraq mess, we're going to be there for a long time whether we like it or not. Likewise, until private industry grabs a serious toehold, NASA will still pioneer the future technology. In fact, privates taking on challenges like a manned Mars mission may be the way to go, since the risk will be so high. Imagine the political fallout if we lost some astronauts attempting a Mars mission? How many years did it take to resume simple shuttle flights after Columbus? Regarding kids doing web design okay, i'm 43y.o. so anyone under 40 is a kid to me, lol. The problem is the stifling nature of hardened bueaucracy, not the limitations of a 21-yr-old college grad. ESA releases its info with all the assumed encumbrances of an overpopulated state government. "Before releasing any raw material to the public, we must be sure that our scientists have first dibs on the material..." goes their statement. Phooey! Time is OF THE ESSENCE. We are all in this together, let's share the info imediately. I definitely take the Libertarian/non-invasive govt position on info sharing, as well as other issues such as smoking in bars [even though I don't smoke tobacco] and legalization of drugs [okay, I do smoke a little herb now and then] <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better. </div>

JonClarke · Aug 29, 2006

Take it to free space. Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars Arthur Clarke </div>

alokmohan · Aug 29, 2006

Right John.

no_way · Aug 30, 2006

Impact details http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=98 Probably the last few of pictures downloaded from SMART http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEMPFY5LARE_0.html

alokmohan · Aug 30, 2006

SMART is smart.It may give us new data.Expecting good results.

eosophobiac · Aug 30, 2006

So, is anyone going to attempt to view the impact? According to this article, http://skytonight.com/news/home/3745876.html, there are some timeframes that it may be visible in certain areas. I'm going to view it around the 8:36PM (2Sep) timeframe, and definitely at 1:41AM (3Sep), and hope for seeing something. (Although the moon may have set by the later time, in my area.) It'll be interesting to see if there is a "faint... flash". Something to watch for! Happy gazing! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

alokmohan · Aug 31, 2006

Smart1 going to crash on moon.It will commit suicide.We may know much about moon dust.

alokmohan · Dec 6, 2007

new map obtained with SMART-1 data shows the geography and illumination of the lunar north pole. Such maps will be of great use for future lunar explorers. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=24182 The lunar poles are very interesting for future science and exploration of the Moon mainly because of their exposure to sunlight. They display areas of quasi-eternal light, have a stable thermal environment and are close to dark areas that could host water ice - potential future lunar base sites.

MeteorWayne · Dec 6, 2007

That's some very interesting terrain! Thanx, MW <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

3488 · Dec 6, 2007

I second that very much MeteorWayne, Hi Alokmohan, Thank you very much for finding that article & those mosaics of the Lunar Arctic with SMART 1. , I had not seen that particular page & those images before. I have downloaded them & are part of my growing planetary image collection. As MeteorWayne correctly says, it is very interesting terrain. I would like to see something soft land with lighting in one of the permanently shadowed craters, with a drill & hgh resolution cameras & spectrometers & see if there really is ice there or if it is just a theory & it turns out to be dry everywhere. My own personal opinion, is that the lunar maria once marked the Lunar Equator, so I think for some reason, the Moon has tilted backwards approx 35 - 40 degrees, with the original North Pole now on the farside & the original South Pole, now on the Near Side. If so, then the current permanently shdowed areas, once did see full sunlight, so I think they are dry, despite the bitter, below minus 200 Celsius cold. My reasoning is that the Maria & some deep farside un lava flooded basins, do form a 'great circle' under the orbital plane of the potential moons that the moon may have had, in turn impacting, carving out the basins. That is MY theory only, not based in official science. Not only that, will probably turn out to be wrong anyway. <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /> Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before". Linda Morabito on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.http://www.launchphotography.com/ http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearthhttp://web.me.com/meridianijournal </div>

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