New NASA radar technique finds lost lunar spacecraft
Thursday, March 9, 2017 - 16:01
in Astronomy & Space
Finding derelict spacecraft and space debris in Earth's orbit can be a technological challenge. Detecting these objects in orbit around Earth's moon is even more difficult. Optical telescopes are unable to search for small objects hidden in the bright glare of the moon. However, a new technological application of interplanetary radar pioneered by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, has successfully located spacecraft orbiting the moon—one active, and one dormant. This new technique could assist planners of future moon missions.