Welcome to the NavList Message Boards.

NavList:

A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding

Compose Your Message

Message:αβγ
Message:abc
Add Images & Files
    Name or NavList Code:
    Email:
       
    Reply
    Re: JAXA lunar lander precision navigation
    From: Peter Monta
    Date: 2024 Jan 20, 00:16 +0000
    A good effort from JAXA, and perhaps the electronics will survive until (and if) the solar panels are illuminated.

    But, the important question:  who or what will be the first to do a "reverse lunar", that is, an observation from the Moon's surface of angular distance between star and Earth limb?  I doubt any of the landers over the next year or so will have anything like the needed optics, but with Starship able to set 100 t of payload onto the surface, surely they can spare a few kilograms for a sextant.  :-)

    JAXA wants to verify the precision of their landing, though, and that will take better-than-sextant accuracy.  If the craft's retroreflector can see the Earth, then they're good.  Otherwise, it will have to be a photo from one of the lunar orbiters, or perhaps DSN ranging if the craft wakes up and the comms are set up for that.

    Cheers,
    Peter


    On Friday, January 19th, 2024 at 10:11 AM, NavList Community <NavList@fer3.com> wrote:

    Any of you who happen to be up and about and looking at NavList messages, watch here (a technical "details" display, no video from spacecraft):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvXLt3ET9mE

    Frank Reed



       
    Reply
    Browse Files

    Drop Files

    NavList

    What is NavList?

    Get a NavList ID Code

    Name:
    (please, no nicknames or handles)
    Email:
    Do you want to receive all group messages by email?
    Yes No

    A NavList ID Code guarantees your identity in NavList posts and allows faster posting of messages.

    Retrieve a NavList ID Code

    Enter the email address associated with your NavList messages. Your NavList code will be emailed to you immediately.
    Email:

    Email Settings

    NavList ID Code:

    Custom Index

    Subject:
    Author:
    Start date: (yyyymm dd)
    End date: (yyyymm dd)

    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site
    Visit this site