NASA has managed to find a “ lose ” Amerind ballistic capsule in orbit around the Moon using a novel technique that could be used to track space vehicle in the future .
scientist at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) in Pasadena , California , used NASA ’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex – also in California – to broadcast a beam of microwaves to the Moon . By recording the waves that bounced back , they were capable to notice two ballistic capsule – one stagnant and one awake – in lunar ambit , 380,000 kilometers ( 237,000 miles ) out .
The “ hold out ” ballistic capsule was NASA’sLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter(LRO ) , which has been in lunar orbit since 2009 . Its orbital characteristics are well known , so turn with the team ’s navigators , these scientist were able to track it down by reflecting microwaves off it .
Using this same technique , they then undertake to line up India’sChandarayaan-1 spacecraft . This was launched to the Moon in October 2008 , but it was last get word from in August 2009 . So regain it present a bit more of a challenge .
" Finding LRO was relatively soft , as we were working with the mission ’s sailing master and had exact orbit datum where it was located , ” said team member Marina Brozovic in astatement . “ Finding India ’s Chandrayaan-1 required a fleck more tec work because the last tangency with the spacecraft was in August of 2009 . "
To track it down , the scientists note the ballistic capsule – just half the size of a car at about 1.5 meters ( 5 foot ) across – had been in a polar orbit around the Moon . They knew it ’s orbital full point , about 2 hour and 8 second , and also have a go at it its altitude , about 200 klick ( 124 nautical mile ) above the surface .
So they give the sack their shaft of light of microwaves 160 km ( 100 miles ) above the Moon ’s north pole on July 2 , 2016 , to see if any would reflect off Chandrayaan-1 as it flew past on its predict cranial orbit . And they were in circumstances , with the spacecraft ’s radiolocation signature crossing the beam twice in four hours of observations .
Thus , they were able to pinpoint where it is now . They found it had shifted its orbit by about 180 point , or half a bicycle , since 2009 , but it was otherwise still swinging around the Moon in the same orbit .
