To the Moon...and Back! Using Lunar Laser Ranging to Obtain A Better Understanding of the Universe

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AST-0707466ShelusLunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiments accurately measure the round-trip travel time for a laser pulse from an observing station on Earth bouncing off a retroreflector array on the surface of the Moon. Such observations have been made at the McDonald Laser Ranging Station (MLRS) for almost 40 years. These data contribute to varied, multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary results in solid Earth sciences, geodesy and geodynamics, solar system ephemerides, terrestrial and celestial reference frames, lunar physics, general relativity and gravitational physics. LLR expands our understanding of the precession of the Earth?s spin axis, the lunar nutation, lunar and solar solid body tides, lunar tidal deceleration, lunar physical and free librations, and energy dissipation in the lunar interior. The present support allows the MLRS LLR experiment to run through at least late 2009. These LLR data will provide better results, due to the improvement of observing equipment and data analysis with time, expansion of the database, and learning to apply more, and cleverer, observation strategies.The LLR project shares the MLRS with artificial satellite laser ranging studies, and cooperates with the International Laser Ranging Service. It is involved with communication, cooperation, and coordination of both observations and data analysis efforts around the country and across the world. The MLRS has many visitors and provides regular lectures and tours.