Planetary Sciences Decadal Review White Papers

• Science from the Moon: The NASA/NLSI Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR)
  The Moon is a unique platform for fundamental astrophysical measurements of gravitation, the Sun, and the Universe. Lacking a permanent ionosphere and, on the farside, shielded from terrestrial radio emissions, a radio telescope on the Moon will be an unparalleled heliospheric and astrophysical observatory. Crucial stages in particle acceleration near the Sun can be imaged and tracked. The evolution of the Universe before and during the formation of the first stars will be traced, yielding high precision cosmological constraints. Lunar Laser Ranging of the Earth-Moon distance provides extremely high precision constraints on General Relativity and alternative models of gravity, and also reveals details about the interior structure of the Moon. With the aim of providing additional perspective on the Moon as a scientific platform, this white paper describes key research projects in these areas of astrophysics from the Moon that are being undertaken by the NLSI-funded LUNAR consortium.
  
  
• The Moon as a Test Body for General Relativity
  Gravity is the force that holds the universe together, yet a theory that unifies it with other areas of physics still eludes us. Testing the very foundation of gravitational theories, like Einstein's theory of general relativity, is critical in understanding the nature of gravity and how it relates to the rest of the physical world.
  
  
• Lunar Science and Lunar Laser Ranging
  Lunar Laser Ranging studies the Moon’s internal structure and properties by tracking the variations in the orientation and tidal distortion of the Moon as a function of time. Future missions to the Moon’s surface should include new laser ranging instrumentation capable of improved range accuracy.