Reconstructing the landing trajectory of the CE-3 lunar probe by using images from the landing camera

作     者：Jian-Jun Liu Wei Yan Chun-Lai Li Xu Tan Xin Ren Ling-Li Mu 

作者机构：Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration National Astronomical ObservatoriesChinese Academy of Sciences 

出 版 物：《Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics》 (天文和天体物理学研究（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第14卷第12期

页      面：1530-1542页

核心收录：

学科分类：08[工学] 082503[工学-航空宇航制造工程] 0825[工学-航空宇航科学与技术] 

基　　金：Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China 

主　　题：Moon   methods: data analysis   techniques: image processing 

摘      要：An accurate determination of the landing trajectory of Chang＇e-3 （CE-3） is significant for verifying orbital control strategy, optimizing orbital planning, accu- rately determining the landing site of CE-3 and analyzing the geological background of the landing site. Due to complexities involved in the landing process, there are some differences between the planned trajectory and the actual trajectory of CE-3. The land- ing camera on CE-3 recorded a sequence of the landing process with a frequency of 10 frames per second. These images recorded by the landing camera and high-resolution images of the lunar surface are utilized to calculate the position of the probe, so as to reconstruct its precise trajectory. This paper proposes using the method of trajectory reconstruction by Single Image Space Resection to make a detailed study of the hov- ering stage at a height of 100 m above the lunar surface. Analysis of the data shows that the closer CE-3 came to the lunar surface, the higher the spatial resolution of im- ages that were acquired became, and the more accurately the horizontal and vertical position of CE-3 could be determined. The horizontal and vertical accuracies were 7.09 m and 4.27 m respectively during the hovering stage at a height of 100.02 m. The reconstructed trajectory can reflect the change in CE-3＇s position during the powered descent process. A slight movement in CE-3 during the hovering stage is also clearly demonstrated. These results will provide a basis for analysis of orbit control strategy, and it will be conducive to adjustment and optimization of orbit control strategy in follow-up missions.