PDS_VERSION_ID                       = PDS3
RECORD_TYPE                          = STREAM

OBJECT = MISSION
  MISSION_NAME                       = "LUNAR PROSPECTOR"

OBJECT                               = MISSION_INFORMATION
  MISSION_START_DATE                 = 1995
  MISSION_STOP_DATE                  = UNK
  MISSION_ALIAS_NAME                 = "N/A"
  MISSION_DESC                       = "

Mission Overview
================

The Lunar Prospector (LP) Mission consists of an orbiter spacecraft
designed to perform continuous mapping of the Moon from a circular
polar orbit.  LP was selected as the third mission in NASA's Discovery
program in February, 1995.  The spacecraft was designed and built in
about 2 years.  It was delivered for launch in late 1997.  The LP
spacecraft was launched on January 6, 1998.  The primary mapping
mission began on January 15, 1998 and is designed to last for one
year [BINDERETAL1998].

The science goals of the Lunar Prospector Mission are to map the
Moon's surface composition and its magnetic and gravity fields, and to
determine the frequency and location of gas release events.  A special
emphasis of the science goals is to search for polar ice deposits.  To
meet these science goals the LP spacecraft carries a Gamma Ray
Spectrometer (GRS), a Neutron Spectrometer (NS), a Alpha Particle
Spectrometer (APS), a Magnetometer (MAG), and an Electron
Reflectometer (ER).  A Doppler Gravity Experiment (DGE) uses tracking
data for mapping the gravity field.

The LP science team consists of the PI, Alan Binder and six Co-I's,
and is divided into three groups.  The Spectrometer Group consists of
William Feldman, Binder, and G. Scott Hubbard.  The Magnetics Group
consists of Robert Lin, Mario Acuna, and Lon Hood.  The Gravity Group
consists of Alexander Konopliv.
 
Mission Phases
==============

LUNAR PROSPECTOR LAUNCH
-----------------------
The Lunar Prospector spacecraft was launched on January 6, 1998 on a
Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle 2 (Athena 2) from the Spaceport Florida
commercial pad (Pad 46) at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
 
         Spacecraft Id:                 : LP
         Target Name                    : MOON
         Mission Phase Start Time       : 1998-01-06
         Mission Phase Stop Time        : 1998-01-06
         Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER
 
LUNAR PROSPECTOR CRUISE
-----------------------

The Lunar Prospector spacecraft was inserted into a translunar coast
after reaching a parking orbit around Earth.  The cruise period to the
Moon lasted for about 105 hours.
 
         Spacecraft Id:                 : LP
         Target Name                    : MOON
         Mission Phase Start Time       : 1998-01-06
         Mission Phase Stop Time        : 1998-01-11
         Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER

LUNAR PROSPECTOR ORBIT INSERTION
--------------------------------

The Lunar Prospector spacecraft was inserted into Lunar orbit by an
initial Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) engine burn.  The initial capture
orbit had a 11.8 hour period.  Several additional engine firings put
the spacecraft into its mapping orbit, which is a 100 +/- 20 km
circular polar orbit with a 118 minute period.
 
         Spacecraft Id:                 : LP
         Target Name                    : MOON
         Mission Phase Start Time       : 1998-01-11
         Mission Phase Stop Time        : 1998-01-15
         Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER

LUNAR PROSPECTOR PRIMARY MISSION
--------------------------------

The Lunar Prospector Primary Mission is scheduled to last for one year
with continuous mapping by the science instruments.

         Spacecraft Id:                 : LP
         Target Name                    : MOON
         Mission Phase Start Time       : 1998-01-15
         Mission Phase Stop Time        : UNKNOWN
         Spacecraft Operations Type     : ORBITER
 "

  MISSION_OBJECTIVES_SUMMARY         = "

The overall goal of the Lunar Prospector (LP) Mission is to perform
global mapping of the Moon in order to better understand the Moon's
origin, evolution, current state, and resources.  Specifically, LP
will map the surface abundances of key elements (U, Th, K, O, Si, Mg,
Fe, Ti, Ca, Al, and H).  As part of the elemental abundance mapping,
LP will determine if water ice exists in permanently shadowed areas
near the lunar poles.  LP will make high-resolution measurements of
the near-side crustal gravity field and measure long-wavelength
gravity anomalies for the entire Moon.  LP will provide global
measurements of lunar crustal magnetic fields and the induced dipole
moment.  LP will also determine the frequency and location of gas
release events, as one of the major sources of the thin lunar
atmosphere. "

 END_OBJECT                          = MISSION_INFORMATION
 
 OBJECT                              = MISSION_HOST
 INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID                  = LP
   OBJECT                            = MISSION_TARGET
     TARGET_NAME                     = MOON
   END_OBJECT                        = MISSION_TARGET
 END_OBJECT                          = MISSION_HOST
  
 OBJECT                              = MISSION_REFERENCE_INFORMATION
   REFERENCE_KEY_ID                  = "BINDERETAL1998"
 END_OBJECT                          = MISSION_REFERENCE_INFORMATION
  
END_OBJECT                           = MISSION
END