|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
McDonnald lunar laser ranging gets axed
This strikes me as stupid. They're talking about virtually no money to continue a long-term, high-precision data set that has produced significant results in the past and might well produce such in the future. And it does have a certain iconic value as well. ================= http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...-laser-funding After 40 years' reflection, laser moon mirror project is axed The Observer, Sunday 21 June 2009 US research that began with the first Apollo landing - and helped to prove that the moon is moving away from Earth - is to be axed An experiment, begun when Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left a mirror on the lunar surface 40 years ago to allow Earth- based astronomers to fire lasers at it, has been ended by American science chiefs. The National Science Foundation (NSF) last week wrote to scientists working at the McDonald Laser ranging station at Fort Davis in Texas to tell them the annual $125,000 funding for their research project was going be terminated following a review of its scientific merits. The decision means that four decades of continuous lunar laser research at the McDonald Observatory, run by the University of Texas at Austin, will be halted by the end of this year. Among the project's unlikely achievements has been the discovery that the moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of two-and-a-half inches a year. [etc.] A spokesman from the NSF told the Observer last week that, after carrying out two reviews, it had decided there was no longer "a strong science case" for continuing its 40-year support for the lunar laser ranging project. The spokesman added that two other astronomy centres - at Apache Point in Texas and Observatoire de la Côte d'Azure in France - were expected to carry out lunar-ranging experiments in future. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
McDonnald lunar laser ranging gets axed
Allen Thomson wrote:
This strikes me as stupid. They're talking about virtually no money to continue a long-term, high-precision data set that has produced significant results in the past and might well produce such in the future. And it does have a certain iconic value as well. Perhaps I am missing something, but it seems that all this really means is that the number of ground sites participating in laser ranging is being reduced from three to two: A spokesman from the NSF told the Observer last week that, after carrying out two reviews, it had decided there was no longer "a strong science case" for continuing its 40-year support for the lunar laser ranging project. The spokesman added that two other astronomy centres - at Apache Point in Texas and Observatoire de la Côte d'Azure in France - were expected to carry out lunar-ranging experiments in future. Or am I misreading this? It really doesn't seem to me that the loss of McDonald is that major, especially given that there will still be a site in Texas that could do long-baseline experiments in conjunction with the site in France. Or are you personally aware of experiments that *require* three sites in order to work? |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
McDonnald lunar laser ranging gets axed
"Fred J. McCall" wrote in message ... :The spokesman added that two other astronomy centres :- at Apache Point in Texas and Observatoire de la Côte d'Azure in :France - were expected to carry out lunar-ranging experiments in :future. : Just how many people do you think need to be making these measurements? 3, equidistant around the Earth so we can take continous measurements 24x7. We never know when the Moon will have an explosion on the far side that will suddenly blast it out of orbit. -- Greg Moore Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
McDonnald lunar laser ranging gets axed
On Jun 21, 8:45*pm, Fred J. McCall wrote:
Just how many people do you think need to be making these measurements? If you want to maintain continuity of the data with the ability to cross-check the data coming from the sites and resolve differences, three is the bare minimum, four or more would be better. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
McDonnald lunar laser ranging gets axed
On Jun 23, 4:55*am, Fred J. McCall wrote:
Allen Thomson wrote: :On Jun 21, 8:45*pm, Fred J. McCall wrote: : : Just how many people do you think need to be making these : measurements? : :If you want to maintain continuity of the data with the ability to :cross-check the data coming from the sites and resolve differences, :three is the bare minimum, four or more would be better. : Oh, poppycock. * This is just more of the usual "We must never stop ANY project ANYWHERE" lamentation. Okay, okay, let's start with yours... |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
The first laser ranging retroreflector was positioned on the Moonin 1969 by the Apollo 11 astronauts. | Roger Bagula | Misc | 5 | August 9th 06 09:47 PM |
laser detection and ranging deep space | Lynndel Humphreys | Technology | 8 | November 14th 03 04:44 PM |
Lunar ranging reflectors prove squat!! | Nathan Jones | Astronomy Misc | 8 | November 10th 03 05:39 PM |
Laser ranging limits? | Scribe2b | Amateur Astronomy | 2 | September 22nd 03 05:02 PM |