On Jun 25, 6:57 am, "Jeff Findley"
wrote:
"Matthew Ota" wrote in message

ups.com...

As for the orbital mechanics of lunar obit, yes there is no atmosphere
to consider. You can make your orbit just low enough to clear the
highest mountains.
But they discovered tehat the gravitational field of the moon is not
consistent. There are "mascons", mass concentrations that cause
distortions in orbits, especially low ones.
This is what causes orbital decay of lunar satellites. As I recall
the mascons were located in mare areas.
Low lunar orbits are unstable as a result. Higher orbits are not as
susceptible to the mascon's gravitational effects.

There have been recently discovered lunar orbits that are very stable. I
remember reading a few articles about them within the last year or so...
Google ought to help... Here we go:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2..._highorbit.htm

Jeff

That's correct, and it's not of any 100 km or less that is going to be
possible without continual reaction thrusting and/or having those
powerful momentum reaction wheels onboard. Either way it's added mass
and taking added energy in order to sustain any given low orbit
mission that's related to our salty old moon.

"(closest approach to the lunar surface) only 450 miles (700 km) above
the north lunar pole"

Such an elliptical orbit of 12 hours for whatever manned missions
would be doable but hardly the Apollo method, that of course never
happened in the first place.

Our gamma and hard-Xray lunar surface of cobalt and titanium mascons
is hardly a substance of Earth, and it's otherwise salty to boot.
-
"whoever controls the past, controls the future" / George Orwell
-
Brad Guth