The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission

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[0328] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Exosphere, [5405] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Atmospheres, [5421] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Interactions With Particles And Fields, [6015] Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies / Dust

Scientific paper

National Research Council decadal surveys and the recent “Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon” (SCEM) report identify studies of the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment as among the leading priorities for future lunar science missions. The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is currently under development to address these goals. LADEE will determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and dynamics, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions. LADEE will also determine whether dust is present in the lunar exosphere, and reveal the processes that contribute to its sources and variability. These investigations are relevant to our understanding of surface boundary exospheres and dust processes occurring at many objects throughout the solar system, address questions regarding the origin and evolution of lunar volatiles, and have potential implications for future exploration activities. LADEE employs a high heritage instrument payload: the Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS), the Ultraviolet/Visible Spectrometer (UVS), and the Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX). It will also carry the Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) as a technology demo. LADEE is an important component in NASA’s portfolio of near-term lunar missions, addressing objectives that are currently not covered by other U.S. or international efforts, and whose observations must be conducted before large scale human or robotic activities irrevocably perturb the tenuous and fragile lunar atmosphere. LADEE’s success will also demonstrate the effectiveness of a low-cost, rapid development program, utilizing a modular bus design together with the new Minotaur IV+ launch vehicle, and will thus pave the way for cost-effective future lunar missions in a cost-constrained environment. The LADEE spacecraft with various instrument locations.

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