Sensing Lunar Dust Density using Radio Science Signals of Opportunity

Previous lunar missions, such as Surveyor, Apollo, and the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), have played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of the lunar exosphere’s dynamics and its relationship with solar wind flux. The insights gained from these missions have laid a strong foundation for our current knowledge. However, due to insufficient near-surface observations, the scientific community has faced challenges in interpreting the phenomena of lunar dust lofting and levitation. This paper introduces the concept of Signals of Opportunity (SoOP), which utilizes Radio Occultation (RO) to retrieve the near-surface dust density profile on the Moon. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Radio Science Beacon (RSB) signals are used to demonstrate this method. By mapping the concentration of lunar near-surface dust using RO, we aim to enhance our understanding of how charged lunar dust interacts with surrounding plasma, thereby contributing to future research in this field and supporting human exploration of the Moon.