Recent Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging at Grasse Laser Ranging Station

Adrien Bourgoin (1) , Julien Chabé (2) , Clément Courde (2) , Jean-Marie Torre (2) , Sébastien Bouquillon (3, 4, 5) , Mourad Aimar (2) , Dominique Albanese (2) , Bertrand Chauvineau (6) , Hervé Mariey (2) , Gregoire Martinot-Lagarde (2) , Nicolas Maurice (2) , Duy-Hà Phung (2) , Etienne Samain (2) , Hervé Viot (2)

1 UNIBO - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna = University of Bologna
2 GEOAZUR 7329 - Géoazur
3 SYRTE - Systèmes de Référence Temps Espace
4 Systèmes de référence célestes
5 Observatoire de Paris
6 Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur

Based on a fully passive space segment, the Lunar Laser Ranging experiment is the last of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package to operate. Observations from Grasse Lunar Laser Ranging station have been realized on a daily basis since the first echoes obtained in 1981. We will give a brief summary of the progress made at Grasse Laser Ranging facility (Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Calern Plateau on the french riviera) since the first echoes. The current performances, driven by the use of infrared wavelength, are presented for the year 2018. The capacities of Grasse Lunar Laser Ranging station have been clearly improved in terms of budget link, reflectors numbers and synodic period observation.

Domaines: Astrophysique [astro-ph]

Adrien Bourgoin, Julien Chabé, Clément Courde, Jean-Marie Torre, Sébastien Bouquillon, et al.. Recent Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging at Grasse Laser Ranging Station. AGU Fall Meeting, Dec 2019, Washington, D.C., United States. pp.G31B-0648. ⟨hal-03743300⟩