AST- 9619302 Lunar Laser Ranging at McDonald Observatory. Lunar laser ranging data play a vital role within various astronomical sciences. They form a firm foundation upon which many fundamental astronomical disciplines stand. They contribute in areas such as the solid Earth sciences, geodesy and geodynamics, Solar System ephemerides, terrestrial and celestial reference frames, lunar physics, general relativity, and gravitational theory. With this award Dr. Peter Shelus will enhance the collection of lunar laser ranging data at McDonald Observatory to produce near-real-time Earth orientation parameters and will develop and implement a Baysian statistics based data identification and quality control package to improve the quality and efficiency of the product.
