GRAZIL: Gravity field of the Moon from radio science tracking and inter-satellite measurements of the GRAIL spacecraft (2014 - 2016)

The primary objective of GRAZIL is to derive a high-accurate gravity field model of the Moon from data collected by the Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission. Additionally, geophysical parameters shall be estimated together with the gravity field in order to enhance our knowledge on the state and size of the lunar core. For this purpose, we make use of dynamic precise orbit determination in combination with a novel inference technique in lunar sciences. This approach is an adapted version of a method that has been developed and very successfully applied for terrestrial gravity field recovery (GRACE mission). Project partners

Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria (PI)
Institute of Geodesy, Graz University of Technology, Austria (Co-I)

Project website of the Space Research Institute.

Acknowledgements

This project is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) within the Austrian Space Applications Programme (ASAP, Phase 10).

References

Yan J., Baur O., Fei L., Jinsong P. (2013) Long-wavelength lunar gravity field recovery from simulated orbit and inter-satellite tracking data. Adv. Space Res. 52: 1919-1928, doi: 10.1016/j.asr.2013.08.008 Klinger B., Baur O., Mayer-Gürr T., Yan J. (2013) Lunar gravity field recovery: GRAIL simulations and real data analysis. EGU General Assembly, Vienna, Austria, 7.-12.4.2013 Klinger B., Baur O., Mayer-Gürr T. (2014) GRAIL gravity field recovery based on the short-arc integral equation technique: simulation studies and first real data results. Planet. Space Sci. 91: 83-90, doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2013.12.001 Krauss S., Klinger B., Baur O., Mayer-Gürr T. (2014) GRAIL gravity field recovery using the short-arc integral equation technique. European Planetary Science Congress, Cascais, Portugal, 7.-12.9.2014 Krauss S., Klinger B., Baur O., Mayer-Gürr T. (2015) Development of the lunar gravity field model GrazLGM300a. VGI Special Issue: Austrian contribution to the XXVI General Assembly of the IUGG, 2+3, 156-161, 2015

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Contact

Torsten Mayer-Gürr
Steyrergasse 30/III
8010 Graz
Austria
Tel: +43 316 873-6359
Fax: +43 316 873-6845
mayer-guerr@tugraz.at