Impact of far-side satellite tracking on gravity estimation in the SELENE project

Preliminary results of numerical simulation are presented to examine the gravity estimation capability in the Japanese lunar exploration project SELENE (SELenological and ENgineering Explorer), which will be launched in 2003. One of the new characteristics of the SELENE lunar gravimetry is 4-way satellite-to-satellite Doppler tracking of a low-altitude lunar orbiter by means of a high-altitude relay satellite. It is shown that planned satellites configuration will provide a good far-side data coverage of the lunar orbiter and will improve lunar gravity field as well as far-side selenoid.