Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon
The third stage of the Saturn IV rocket used in the five Apollo missions made craters on the Moon ∼30 m in diameter. Their initial impact conditions were known, so they can be considered controlled impacts. Here, we used the iSALE-2D shock physics code to numerically simulate the formation of these...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION
2021
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| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90181 |
| _version_ | 1848765346908995584 |
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| author | Rajšić, Andrea Miljkovic, Katarina Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Onodera, K. Kawamura, T. Lognonné, P. Wieczorek, M.A. Daubar, I.J. |
| author_facet | Rajšić, Andrea Miljkovic, Katarina Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Onodera, K. Kawamura, T. Lognonné, P. Wieczorek, M.A. Daubar, I.J. |
| author_sort | Rajšić, Andrea |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The third stage of the Saturn IV rocket used in the five Apollo missions made craters on the Moon ∼30 m in diameter. Their initial impact conditions were known, so they can be considered controlled impacts. Here, we used the iSALE-2D shock physics code to numerically simulate the formation of these craters, and to calculate the vertical component of seismic moment (∼4 × 1010 Nm) and seismic efficiency (∼10−6) associated with these impacts. The irregular booster shape likely caused the irregular crater morphology observed. To investigate this, we modeled six projectile geometries, with footprint area between 3 and 105 m2, keeping the mass and velocity of the impactor constant. We showed that the crater depth and diameter decreased as the footprint area increased. The central mound observed in lunar impact sites could be a result of layering of the target and/or low density of the projectile. Understanding seismic signatures from impact events is important for planetary seismology. Calculating seismic parameters and validating them against controlled experiments in a planetary setting will help us understand the seismic data received, not only from the Moon, but also from the InSight Mission on Mars and future seismic missions. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:33:48Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-90181 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:33:48Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-901812023-02-23T07:25:37Z Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon Rajšić, Andrea Miljkovic, Katarina Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Onodera, K. Kawamura, T. Lognonné, P. Wieczorek, M.A. Daubar, I.J. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics Geosciences, Multidisciplinary Geology impact cratering numerical modeling seismic moment seismic efficiency Moon artificial impacts MODEL The third stage of the Saturn IV rocket used in the five Apollo missions made craters on the Moon ∼30 m in diameter. Their initial impact conditions were known, so they can be considered controlled impacts. Here, we used the iSALE-2D shock physics code to numerically simulate the formation of these craters, and to calculate the vertical component of seismic moment (∼4 × 1010 Nm) and seismic efficiency (∼10−6) associated with these impacts. The irregular booster shape likely caused the irregular crater morphology observed. To investigate this, we modeled six projectile geometries, with footprint area between 3 and 105 m2, keeping the mass and velocity of the impactor constant. We showed that the crater depth and diameter decreased as the footprint area increased. The central mound observed in lunar impact sites could be a result of layering of the target and/or low density of the projectile. Understanding seismic signatures from impact events is important for planetary seismology. Calculating seismic parameters and validating them against controlled experiments in a planetary setting will help us understand the seismic data received, not only from the Moon, but also from the InSight Mission on Mars and future seismic missions. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90181 10.1029/2021EA001887 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180100661 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics Geosciences, Multidisciplinary Geology impact cratering numerical modeling seismic moment seismic efficiency Moon artificial impacts MODEL Rajšić, Andrea Miljkovic, Katarina Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Onodera, K. Kawamura, T. Lognonné, P. Wieczorek, M.A. Daubar, I.J. Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon |
| title | Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon |
| title_full | Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon |
| title_fullStr | Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon |
| title_short | Numerical Simulations of the Apollo S-IVB Artificial Impacts on the Moon |
| title_sort | numerical simulations of the apollo s-ivb artificial impacts on the moon |
| topic | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Astronomy & Astrophysics Geosciences, Multidisciplinary Geology impact cratering numerical modeling seismic moment seismic efficiency Moon artificial impacts MODEL |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90181 |