Research Article
Lunar CubeSat Impact Trajectory Characteristics as a Function of Its Release Conditions
Table 2
Detailed mission parameters derived for Cases A, B, and C.
| | Parameters | Short-arc case (Case A) | Medium-arc case (Case B) | Long-arc case (Case C) |
| | Release time | 2017-06-01 00:00:00 (UTC) | ← | ← | | Impact time | 2017-06-01 00:15:40 (UTC) | 2017-06-01 00:35:50 (UTC) | 2017-06-01 00:55:58 (UTC) | | Mother-ship velocity at release | 1.63 (km/s) | ← | ← | | CubeSat velocity at impact | 1.67 (km/s) | 1.69 (km/s) | 1.70 (km/s) | | CubeSat time of flight | 15.66 (min) | 35.83 (min) | 55.92 (min) | | Release location | | | | | Longitude | 172.85 (deg) | ← | ← | | Latitude | 89.39 (deg) | ← | ← | | Altitude | 102.09 (km) | ← | ← | | Impact location | | | | | Longitude | −149.92 (deg) | −149.62 (deg) | −133.14 (deg) | | Latitude | 41.03 (deg) | −23.06 (deg) | −88.70 (deg) | | Altitude | 0.00 (km) | ← | ← | | Mother-ship at impact | | | | | Longitude | −149.93 (deg) | −149.64 (deg) | −147.44 (deg) | | Latitude | 41.73 (deg) | −19.99 (deg) | −81.48 (deg) | | Altitude | 100.92 (km) | 100.24 (km) | 102.04 (km) | | Earth at impact | | | | | Longitude | 7.44 (deg) | 7.44 (deg) | 7.44 (deg) | | Latitude | −0.76 (deg) | −0.80 (deg) | −0.83 (deg) | | Sun at impact | | | | | Longitude | 103.62 (deg) | 103.44 (deg) | 103.27 (deg) | | Latitude | −1.50 (deg) | −1.50 (deg) | −1.50 (deg) | | Cross distance range (release to impact) | 1,471.35 (km) | 3,411.77 (km) | 5,404.29 (km) | | Impact angle | | | | | At release | 3.97 (deg) | 1.72 (deg) | 1.08 (deg) | | At about 10 km cross range distance before impact | 4.66 (deg) | 1.86 (deg) | 0.04 (deg) |
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