Position determination of the Chang’e 3 lander with geodetic VLBI
Other text in scientific journal, 2019
We present results from the analysis of observations of the Chang’e 3 lander using geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry. The applied processing strategy as well as the limiting factors to our approach is discussed. We highlight the current precision of such observations and the accuracy of the estimated lunar-based parameters, i.e., the lunar lander’s Moon-fixed coordinates. Our result for the position of the lander is 44.1219 3 ∘ N , -19.51159∘E and -2637.3 m, with horizontal position uncertainties on the lunar surface of 8.9 m and 4.5 m in latitude and longitude, respectively. This result is in good agreement with the position derived from images taken by the Narrow Angle Camera of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Finally, we discuss potential improvements to our approach, which could be used to apply the presented concept to high-precision lunar positioning and studies of the Moon.[Figure not available: see fulltext.].
Moon
Chang’e 3
c5++
Geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry
OCEL
Author
Grzegorz Klopotek
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Thomas Hobiger
University of Stuttgart
Rüdiger Haas
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Frédéric Jaron
University of Bonn
Laura La Porta
University of Bonn
Reichert GmbH
Axel Nothnagel
University of Bonn
Zhongkai Zhang
University of Bonn
Songtao Han
Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center
Alexander Neidhardt
Technical University of Munich
C. Plötz
Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG)
Earth, Planets and Space
1343-8832 (ISSN) 1880-5981 (eISSN)
Vol. 71 1 23Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Roots
Basic sciences
Infrastructure
Onsala Space Observatory
Subject Categories
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
DOI
10.1186/s40623-019-1001-2