Related papers: The new lunar ephemeris INPOP17a and its applicati…
Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) measurements are crucial for advanced exploration of the evolutionary history of the lunar orbit, the laws of fundamental gravitational physics, selenophysics and geophysics as well as for future human missions to…
All future lunar missions require a definition of the lunar reference system and a realization in the form of the lunar reference frame to ensure consistent products for positioning, navigation, cartography, and timing. This paper defines…
The Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment has accumulated 50 years of range data of improving accuracy from ground stations to the laser retroreflector arrays (LRAs) on the lunar surface. The upcoming decade offers several opportunities to…
Lorentz symmetry violations can be parametrized by an effective field theory framework that contains both general relativity and the standard model of particle physics called the standard-model extension (SME). We present new constraints on…
High precision ephemerides not only support space missions, but can also be used to study the origin and future of celestial bodies. In this paper, a coupled orbit rotation dynamics model that fully takes into account the rotation of the…
This paper presents almanac and ephemeris message representation for lunar navigation satellites supporting the Lunar Augmented Navigation System (LANS). The proposed method combines osculating orbital elements, Chebyshev polynomials, and…
Accurate analysis of precision ranges to the Moon has provided several tests of gravitational theory including the Equivalence Principle, geodetic precession, parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$, and the…
The perturbation of the lunar motion caused by a hypothetical violation of the equivalence principle is analytically worked out in terms of power series \`a la Hill-Brown. The interaction with the quadrupolar tide is found to amplify the…
Existing capabilities in laser ranging, optical interferometry and metrology, in combination with precision frequency standards, atom-based quantum sensors, and drag-free technologies, are critical for the space-based tests of fundamental…
The Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA), a concept for measuring sub-Hz gravitational waves on the Moon, would use laser strainmeters to obtain extremely sensitive strain measurements from 1 mHz to 1 Hz. With proposed strain…
This study aims to investigate the systematics in planetary ephemeris reference frames through pulsar timing observations. We used the published data sets from several pulsar timing arrays and performed timing analyses for each pulsar using…
Lunar laser ranging (LLR) to the Apollo retro-reflectors, which features the most long-lasting experiment in testing General Relativity theories, has remained operational over the past four decades. To date, with significant improvement of…
The current knowledge of Mercury orbit has mainly been gained by direct radar ranging obtained from the 60s to 1998 and by five Mercury flybys made by Mariner 10 in the 70s, and MESSENGER made in 2008 and 2009. On March 18, 2011, MESSENGER…
In Papers II and III we show that Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLPs) are likely related to lunar outgassing, albeit in ways not fully understood. Here we propose a path forward, in which current and forthcoming technologies provide a more…
The Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA) presents a novel concept for observing gravitational waves from astrophysical sources at sub-Hertz frequencies. Compared to the Earth, the seismic environment of the moon, while uncertain, is…
This paper provides an overview of the Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiments. The measurement principle is explained and its theory is derived. Both contributions, the direct reflected light from retroreflectors as well as the scattered…
This study is done in the context of the project titled Interplanetary Laser Tri-lateration Network (ILTN) proposed by \cite{2018P&SS..153..127S} and investigated more in details by \cite{2022P&SS..21405415B} and \cite{2022P&SS..21505423B}.…
The Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA) is a next-generation gravitational-wave (GW) facility on the Moon. By harnessing the Moon's unique environment, LILA fills a critical observational gap in the mid-band GW spectrum ($0.1 - 10$…
Lunar laser ranging (LLR) is used to conduct high-precision measurements of ranges between an observatory on Earth and a laser retro-reflector on the lunar surface. Over the years, LLR has benefited from a number of improvements both in…
More precise lunar and Martian ranging will enable unprecedented tests of Einstein's theory of General Relativity and well as lunar and planetary science. NASA is currently planning several missions to return to the Moon, and it is natural…