The first U.S. spacecraft to return to the Moon since Apollo is scheduled to be launched in late January 1994 by the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization of the Defense Dept. SDIO's Clementine project is designed to test several spacecraft systems and sensors being developed for an anti-missile defense. Launching the test spacecraft to the Moon and then on to an asteroid will give the sensors something to image and provide a science bonus as well.
The spacecraft is being built by the Naval Research Laboratory with most sensors provided by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Tracking will be done by the Deep Space Network of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Schedule
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Launch will be in late January 1994. Two days after launch, the spacecraft will fire thrusters to move into a lunar phasing orbit that will include two Earth fly-bys. In late February 1994, the spacecraft will fire rockets to enter a five-hour eccentric polar orbit of the Moon. This orbit, with a lowest point (perilune) of 400 km, will allow complete mapping of the Moon over the next two months.
In May 1994, the spacecraft will rocket into an Earth phasing orbit for three weeks. With a lunar fly-by and gravity assist, it will travel outward toward an asteroid called "1620 Geographos." The spacecraft will fly by 1620 Geographos on August 31 at a distance of 100 km or more -- the distance is yet to be decided. Several minutes of data will be collected before the spacecraft moves out of range and ends its mission.
Instruments
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Clementine will carry three cameras and a laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR) system.
The ultraviolet-visible light camera will have a five-filter wheel for selecting wavelengths from 0.34 micrometers to 1 micrometer. Pixel resolution on the Moon will range from 125 meters to 325 meters depending on spacecraft altitude.
The near-infrared camera will have a five-filter wheel to select wavelengths from 1.1 micrometer to 2.7 micrometers. Pixel resolution will range from 200 meters to 500 meters on the Moon.
The long wavelength infrared camera will take broadband photos in the range of 7 to 9.5 micrometers with a pixel resolution of about 100 meters.
The LIDAR will have a pixel resolution of 10 to 30 meters but its narrow field of view means it will not produce comprehensive images of the entire surface. Its active ranging will create a topographic data base of the Moon between the latitudes of 60 degrees North and 60 degrees South.
Lunar data will be released to the public on October 1, 1994.
