Lunar Rotation and Flyby from Clementine Data

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Author:

Cindy Starr, David Smith, Frank Lemoine, Gregory Neumann, Maria Zuber

Subject:

Science and Technology

Institution Name:

NASA

Collection:

NASA GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio

Grade Level:

Secondary, Post-secondary

Abstract:

Clementine was a joint project between the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization and NASA. The objective of the mission was to test sensors and spacecraft components under extended exposure to the space environment and to make scientific observations of the Moon and the near-Earth asteroid 1620 Geographos. Clementine was launched on 25 January 1994 at 16:34 UTC (12:34 PM EDT) from Vandenberg AFB aboard a Titan IIG rocket. After two Earth flybys, lunar insertion was achieved on February 21. Lunar mapping took place over approximately two months, in two parts. The first part consisted of a 5 hour elliptical polar orbit with a perilune of about 400 km at 28 degrees S latitude. After one month of mapping the orbit was rotated to a perilune of 29 degrees N latitude, where it remained for one more month. This allowed global imaging as well as altimetry coverage from 60 degrees S to 60 degrees N.

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Other

Media Format:

Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML, Video

Technical Requirements:

Real player

Conditions of Use:

Public Domain
Please give credit to NASA GSFC Scientific Visualization Studio