The combination of the Doppler data from the first two Juno science orbits provides an improved estimate of the gravity field of Jupiter, crucial for interior modeling of giant planets. The low‐degree spherical harmonic coefficients, especially J4 and J6, are determined with accuracies better than previously published by a factor of 5 or more. In addition, the independent estimates of the Jovian gravity field, obtained by the orbits separately, agree within uncertainties, pointing to a good stability of the solution. The degree 2 sectoral and tesseral coefficients, C2,1, S2,1, C2,2, and S2,2, were determined to be statistically zero as expected for a fluid planet in equilibrium.

No abstract

The importance of an accurate model of the Moon gravity field has been assessed for future navigation missions orbiting and/or landing on the Moon, in order to use our natural satellite as an intermediate base for next solar system observations and exploration as well as for lunar resources mapping and exploitation. One of the main scientific goals of MAGIA mission, whose Phase A study has been recently funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), is the mapping of lunar gravitational anomalies, and in particular those on the hidden side of the Moon, with an accuracy of 1 mGal RMS at lunar surface in the global solution of the gravitational field up to degree and order 80. MAGIA gravimetric experiment is performed into two phases: the first one, along which the main satellite shall perform remote sensing of the Moon surface, foresees the use of Precise Orbit Determination (POD) data available from ground tracking of the main satellite for the determination of the long wavelength components of gravitational field. Improvement in the accuracy of POD results are expected by the use of ISA, the Italian accelerometer on board the main satellite. Additional gravitational data from recent missions, like Kaguya/Selene, could be used in order to enhance the accuracy of such results. In the second phase the medium/short wavelength components of gravitational field shall be obtained through a low-to-low (GRACE-like) Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) experiment. POD data shall be acquired during the whole mission duration, while the SST data shall be available after the remote sensing phase, when the sub-satellite shall be released from the main one and both satellites shall be left in a free-fall dynamics in the gravity field of the Moon. SST range-rate data between the two satellites shall be measured through an inter-satellite link with accuracy compliant with current state of art space qualified technology. SST processing and gravitational anomalies retrieval shall benefit from a second ISA accelerometer on the sub-satellite in order to decouple lunar gravitational signal from other accelerations. Experiment performance analysis shows that the stated scientific requirements can be achieved with a low mass and low cost sub-satellite, with a SST gravimetric mission of just few months

No abstract

No abstract