Scientists successfully bounce laser from spacecraft orbiting the Moon

According to a recent report by livescience.com, scientists have bounced a laser off a mirror that was attached to a spacecraft named Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This spacecraft was reportedly circling the moon. It is quite difficult to hit a laser that is orbiting the moon. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has reportedly been orbiting the moon since 2009. Further, The LRO has been doing so with a mirror on its back.

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A journal called Earth, Planets, and Space has shared some instances of laser contact. The contact has taken place on the following dates:

• September 4, 2018 (Two times)
• August 23, 2019 (Two times)
• August 24, 2019 (Two times)

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After the August 24, 2019 laser contacts, the Lunar Laser Rangin technicians in Grasse, France, shot the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter with lasers. They successfully noticed light after 2.5 seconds.

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Working of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter:

The mirror that is placed on the back of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been specially designed in order to make sure that the light that bounces off the surface of the spacecraft returns in the same direction from which it originated. The mirror is referred to as a corner cube. The corner cube comprises of a set of three-dimensional mirrors. These mirrors are shaped like the corners of a cubical object. Hence when a laser hits the spacecraft, the light bounces thrice. This happens before the mirror returns it in the direction from which it originated.

Findings recorded in the Earth, Planets and Space journal:

The researchers who reported their findings in the Earth, Planets, and Space journal felt that the laser contacts which had earlier been established did not provide enough data to track the movement of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Since the spacecraft was extremely fast, it was difficult to reliably fire a laser despite establishing contact under ideal conditions. Further, the spacecraft, the moon as well as France were perfectly lined up to increase chances of laser contact.

The journal also stated that the mirrors had become less reflective. However, the cause for the same remains unknown to scientists. The deteriorated quality of the mirrors also makes it difficult to record accurate measurements. The journal suggested some causes for the poor mirror quality.

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Causes stated by the journal:

• Long term exposure to solar radiation.
• Faint haze or lunar dust in the moon’s atmosphere might obscure the surface of the mirrors.

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