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Article
Open AccessSimulation of gravity field estimation of Phobos for Martian Moon eXploration (MMX)
We study the dynamic orbit about Phobos of the Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) spacecraft and simulate gravity field estimation using Doppler, image landmarks, and LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) data based...
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Article
Open AccessSensitivity analysis of polar orbiter motion to lunar viscoelastic tidal deformation
We investigate the impact of viscoelastic tidal deformation of the Moon on the motion of a polar orbiter. The dissipative effects in the Moon’s interior, i.e., tidal phase lags, are modeled as Fourier series s...
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Article
The case for landed Mercury science
In this White Paper, submitted to ESA in response to the Voyage 2050 Call, we advocate for establishing key scientific priorities for the future of Mercury exploration, including the development of specific sc...
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Article
Open AccessGAUSS - genesis of asteroids and evolution of the solar system
The goal of Project GAUSS (Genesis of Asteroids and evolUtion of the Solar System) is to return samples from the dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres is the most accessible candidate of ocean worlds and the largest reser...
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Article
Open AccessPlanetary polar explorer – the case for a next-generation remote sensing mission to low Mars orbit
We propose the exploration of polar areas on Mars by a next-generation orbiter mission. In particular, we aim at studying the seasonal and regional variations in snow-deposits, which – in combination with meas...
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Article
Processing of laser altimeter time-of-flight measurements to geodetic coordinates
Laser altimeters are commonly used in planetary research for their high geodetic accuracy. A key procedure in processing of laser altimeter data is the geolocation. In this process, the time-of-flight measurem...
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Article
Open AccessDetermination of the lunar body tide from global laser altimetry data
We use global data from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) to retrieve the lunar tidal Love number \(h_2\) ...
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Article
The Ganymede laser altimeter (GALA): key objectives, instrument design, and performance
The Ganymede Laser Altimeter (GALA) is one of the ten scientific instruments selected for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission currently implemented under responsibility of the European Space Agency ...
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Article
Determination of Phobos’ rotational parameters by an inertial frame bundle block adjustment
A functional model for a bundle block adjustment in the inertial reference frame was developed, implemented and tested. This approach enables the determination of rotation parameters of planetary bodies on the...
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Article
The reference frames of Mercury after the MESSENGER mission
We report on recent refinements and the current status for the rotational state models and the reference frames of the planet Mercury. We summarize the performed measurements of Mercury rotation based on terre...
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Chapter and Conference Paper
Towards Improved Lunar Reference Frames: LRO Orbit Determination
Lunar reference systems are currently realized by sets of coordinates of the few laser reflectors deployed by Apollo astronauts and unmanned Soviet spacecrafts. Expanding this coordinate knowledge to other fea...
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Article
Mercury’s resonant rotation from secular orbital elements
We used recently produced Solar System ephemerides, which incorporate 2 years of ranging observations to the MESSENGER spacecraft, to extract the secular orbital elements for Mercury and associated uncertainti...
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Article
The 2011 Draconids: The First European Airborne Meteor Observation Campaign
On 8 October 2011, the Draconid meteor shower (IAU \(\#8\) # ...
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Article
GETEMME—a mission to explore the Martian satellites and the fundamentals of solar system physics
GETEMME (Gravity, Einstein’s Theory, and Exploration of the Martian Moons’ Environment), a mission which is being proposed in ESA’s Cosmic Vision program, shall be launched for Mars on a Soyuz Fregat in 2020. ...
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Article
Open AccessFarside explorer: unique science from a mission to the farside of the moon
Farside Explorer is a proposed Cosmic Vision medium-size mission to the farside of the Moon consisting of two landers and an instrumented relay satellite. The farside of the Moon is a unique scientific platfor...
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Article
Working models for the gravitational field of Phobos
Models for the gravitational field of Mars moon Phobos were developed using the latest shape model and assuming homogeneous density distribution. Three methods were applied in our study. Comparisons were made ...
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Article
Non-mare silicic volcanism on the lunar farside at Compton–Belkovich
Non-basaltic volcanism is rare on the Moon. The best known examples occur on the lunar nearside in the compositionally evolved Procellarum KREEP terrane. However, there is an isolated thorium-rich area—the Com...
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Article
Open AccessAccuracy assessment of lunar topography models
Both the Chang’E-1 and SELenological and ENgineering Explorer (SELENE) lunar missions, launched in 2007, provide an opportunity for significant advances in lunar science. In particular, both orbiters provide refi...
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Chapter
Contribution of Lunar Laser Ranging to Realise Geodetic Reference Systems
Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) has provided observations for more than 36 years. There is enormous science potential of LLR to further our understanding of the dynamics of the Earth-Moon system (e.g.Earth orientati...
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Article
Photographic observations of Neuschwanstein, a second meteorite from the orbit of the Příbram chondrite
Photographic observations of meteoroids passing through the atmosphere provide information about the population of interplanetary bodies in the Earth's vicinity in the size range from 0.1 m to several metres. ...