This blog follows the progress of the LRO mission through Integration and Testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and launch site processing at KSC\Astrotech. Its purpose is to enable communication to the entire LRO Team about the status of ongoing activities.

LRO was launched June 18th, 2009 at 5:32pm EDT from KSC. This BLOG will follow the progress of the mission as LRO travels to the Moon and establishes orbit around it.

This BLOG will be periodically updated during LRO's early mission but as the nominal mission unfolds the official NASA LRO website and the LRO Science Instrument's own websites will evolve into a more interesting sources of LRO science results as postings appear there first and LRO engineering and operations (source of this site) will become increasingly routine.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

LOI 3 Burn Successfully Completed


At 06:32 am EDT, the LOI 3 burn was successfully conducted. The burn lasted for 12 minutes and placed LRO in a 2.58 hour orbit. Following the burn, a Delta-H momentum unload was performed.

A Delta-H maneuver is how LRO reduces its system angular momentum (H). Thrusters are fired in a manuver planned to reduce the reaction wheel speeds. At the moon LRO gains angular momentum from torques induced by gravity gradient effects, solar radiation pressure, and from the use of our thrusters for changes in velocity (orbit changes).

LOI 4 burn is scheduled for tomorrow at 8:25am EDT.
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