The Planetary Report • September/October 1994

Clementine Maps the Moon

On the Cover: The Moon has long been a proving ground for spacecraft from its nearby planet. The latest to visit was <i>Clementine</i>, the "smaller, cheaper, faster" mission launched by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. <i>Clementine</i> completely mapped the surface of the Moon, and this mosaic was made from the data collected of the Aristarchus plateau. Named for the large, bright Aristarchus crater, the plateau was probably uplifted, tilted and fractured by the giant impact that formed the Imbrium basin. Data like these from <i>Clementine</i> are helping fill out scientists' understanding of the Moon's history.

Features

4 To Pluto by Way of a Postage Stamp: Robert Staehle, Richard Terrile, and Stacy Weinstein—mission designers from JPL—struggle to find a cheap way to go to Pluto.

12 Sifting Through the Data: Clementine's Lunar Bonanza: Charlene Anderson provides a few of the early images of the Moon processed thus far.

14 Two for the Road: New Hope for Exploration in Space: Louis Friedman reports on tremendous advances in planetary programs promoted by The Planetary Society.

16 Advancing Our Ambitions: The 1994 Mars Rover Tests: Charlene Anderson discusses our most ambitious Mars Rover program yet.

Departments

3 Members' Dialogue Apollo's gift; planetary protection.

18 News & Reviews Lowell Observatory's centennial celebration.

19 World Watch NASA's FY 1995 budget.

20 Q&A Naming mountains on Venus; space law.

22 Readers' Service A fresh selection of science literature.

23 Society News The first Thomas O. Paine Award, SETI, and new alliances.

The Planetary Report • September/October 1994

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