Related papers: Millimeter Laser Ranging to the Moon: a comprehens…
LOUPE, the Lunar Observatory for Unresolved Polarimetry of the Earth, is a small, robust spectro-polarimeter with a mission to observe the Earth as an exoplanet. Detecting Earth-like planets in stellar habitable zones is one of the key…
Relativistic modelling of rotational motion of extended bodies represents one of the most complicated problems of Applied Relativity. The relativistic reference systems of IAU (2000) give a suitable theoretical framework for such a…
In 1859, Le Verrier discovered the Mercury perihelion advance anomaly. This anomaly turned out to be the first relativistic-gravity effect observed. During the 157 years to 2016, the precisions and accuracies of laboratory and space…
Due to its relatively large eccentricity and proximity to the Sun, Mercury's orbital motion provides one of the best solar-system tests of relativistic gravity. We emphasize the number of feasible relativistic gravity tests that can be…
The classical method for measure the Earth-Sun distance is due to Aristarchus and it is based upon the measure of the angle Moon-Earth-Sun when the Moon is exactly in quadrature. Such an angle is only 9 arcminutes smaller than 90 degrees,…
In this work some aspects of the detection of certain general relativistic effects in the weak gravitational field of the Earth via laser-ranged data to some existing or proposed geodetic satellites are examined. The focus is on the…
This work investigates the use of stellar occultation measurements to enhance the orbit determination performance of the Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) mission, operating from a quasi-Halo orbit around the Earth-Moon L2 point.…
Machine learning (ML) is a revolutionary technology with demonstrable applications across multiple disciplines. Within the Earth science community, ML has been most visible for weather forecasting, producing forecasts that rival modern…
All powered spacecraft experience residual systematic acceleration due to anisotropy of the thermal radiation pressure and fuel leakage. The residual acceleration limits the accuracy of any test of gravity that relies on the precise…
We have studied the feasibility and scientific potential of zenith observing liquid mirror telescopes having 20 to 100 m diameters located on the moon. They would carry out deep infrared surveys to study the distant universe and follow up…
With the increase in the number of active satellites and space debris in orbit, the problem of initial orbit determination (IOD) becomes increasingly important, demanding a high accuracy. Over the years, different approaches have been…
Setting up a relativistic lunar reference frame is of a prime importance in the context of future exploration missions to the Moon. If the procedure for building a consistent reference frame within the framework of the general theory of…
In the companion paper ("Erosion rate of lunar soil under a landing rocket, part 1: identifying the rate-limiting physics", this issue) an equation was developed for the rate that lunar soil erodes under the exhaust of a landing rocket.…
The modern methods of measurement of the solar diameter and oblateness are reviewed. Either ground-based or balloon-borne and satellite measurements are considered. The importance of solar astrometry for General Relativity is emphasized,…
We present a realization of astronomical relativistic reference frames in the solar system and its application to the GRAIL mission. We model the necessary spacetime coordinate transformations for light-trip time computations and address…
With the prospect of the next generation of ground-based telescopes, the extremely large telescopes (ELTs), increasingly complex and demanding adaptive optics (AO) systems are needed. This is to compensate for image distortion caused by…
Space weather forecasting is critical for mitigating radiation risks in space exploration and protecting Earth-based technologies from geomagnetic disturbances. This paper presents the development of a Machine Learning (ML)- ready data…
Thermal-infrared measurements of asteroids are crucial for deriving the objects' sizes, albedos, and also the thermophysical properties of the surface material. Depending on the available data, a range of simple to complex thermal models…
The high accuracy of modern space astrometry requires the use of General Relativity to model the propagation of stellar light through the gravitational field encountered from a source to a given observer inside the Solar System. In this…
The Lunar Geophysical Network (LGN) mission is proposed to land on the Moon in 2030 and deploy packages at four locations to enable geophysical measurements for 6-10 years. Returning to the lunar surface with a long-lived geophysical…