A giant leap in orbital imagery is what we need to realize advanced Moon missions
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has long been the foundation of lunar exploration, but its aging systems leave a growing data gap for future missions. Despite scientific calls for a successor, NASA hasn’t approved one, leaving newer international and commercial orbiters to fill the void. There i
On 19 September 2024 Orbital Maneuver OM-87 plan for raising perilune of Chandrayaan 2 Orbiter (CH2O) was modified to avoid the potential close conjunction risks with Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) around 1st October, 2024. The tentative plan for the next manoeuvre OM-88 scheduled on 1st October, 2024 was also adjusted to avoid post manoeuvre conjunctions with other lunar orbiters (KPLO, LRO).
Source: https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/Monthly_summary/Monthly_Summary_September2024.pdf
In August 2024, planned Orbital Maneuver OM-86 for apolune reduction and circularization of Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter (CH2O) was modified to avoid the potential close conjunction risks with Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) around 15-16 August 2024.
Source: https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/Monthly_summary/Monthly_Summary_August2024_Eng.pdf
In July 2024 two close approaches between Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter and other lunar orbiters resolved through inter-agency coordination.
• Close approaches with and NASA's Lunar reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) on 12 July
• Potential close conjunction risk with Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) on 25 July
Source: https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/Monthly_summary/Monthly_Summary_July2024Eng.pdf
Yet another conjunction event avoided between Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter and South Korean lunar orbiter KPLO.
"The risks associated with close conjunctions of CH2O and KPLO on May 24, 2024 were mitigated by coordination with KARI team. Two orbit maintenance maneuvers (OM-83 and OM-84) were executed for CH2O."
Lunar orbit is getting crowdy and orbiters have had to frequently perform conjunction avoidance manoeuvres.
South Korea's KPLO has also imaged Chandrayaan-3 Vikram landing site on 27 August 2023.
New #KPLO #Danuri images. The bottom right images were taken with PolCam, a polarimetric frame camera, the rest with LUTI, a push-broom camera
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RT @kari2030
다누리, 달에서 임무 수행 이상 無!
📷사진 설명
상단 왼쪽부터 시계방향으로
1. 고해상도카메라로 촬영한 치올콥스키 크레이터 영상
2.고해상도카메라로 촬영한 슈뢰딩거 계곡 영상
3. 편광카메라로 촬영한 비흐만 크레이터 편광 영상
4.고해상도카메라로 촬영한 실라르드 엠 크레이터 영상
https://twitter.com/kari2030/status/1646007630207528960
We are used to watch the #phases of our #Moon, now we can contemplate the ones of our own #planet from there by the eyes of the #spacecraft #Danuri.
#Waxing and #waning, our beautiful full #Earth.
📷 KARI
Ohsin
Dawoon Jung
Rui Borges