Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the 18th of June 2009. This launch marked the first United States mission to the Moon in over ten years. The spacecraft traveled alongside its companion, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. Together they formed the vanguard of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program. Development began at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center with a preliminary design review in February 2006. A critical design review followed in November 2006. The probe shipped to Florida on the 11th of February 2009 for final preparations. Engineers originally planned an October 2008 launch date. Testing in a thermal vacuum chamber pushed that deadline to April 2009. A priority military launch delay then rescheduled the event to the 17th of June 2009. The actual liftoff occurred one day later on June 18. That single-day delay allowed the Space Shuttle Endeavour to lift off for mission STS-127 following a hydrogen fuel leak. The total cost of the mission reached US$583 million. Five hundred four million dollars pertained to the main LRO probe while seventy-nine million covered the LCROSS satellite.
The orbiter carries six instruments plus one technology demonstration to map lunar topography and resources. The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation measures local energy transfer by charged particles. Diviner measures lunar surface thermal emission to provide information for future surface operations. Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project peers into permanently shadowed craters using ultraviolet light from stars. Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector creates maps and detects possible near-surface water ice deposits. The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter provides a precise global lunar topographic model. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera includes narrow-angle cameras with primary mirror diameter of 19.5 cm. These cameras image pixels about 0.5-meter across at an original altitude of 50 km. A wide-angle camera provides visible and UV images at 100 meters per pixel over a 60 km swath. Miniature Radio Frequency radar demonstrated new lightweight synthetic aperture radar technologies. This instrument located potential water-ice despite suffering an anomaly in January 2011. Despite the transmitter failure, the team collected more than 400 strips of radar data since September 2010.
LRO entered orbit around the Moon on the 23rd of June 2009 after a four-and-a-half-day journey from Earth. Engineers performed a mid-course correction during transit to ensure correct orbital entry. Four rocket burns over four days placed the satellite into its commissioning phase orbit. On the 15th of September 2009, the spacecraft started its primary mission by orbiting at approximately 50 kilometers for one year. NASA handed the probe to the Science Mission Directorate in September 2010 to continue science operations. The craft transitioned into a fuel-conserving quasi-frozen elliptical orbit for the remainder of the mission. In May 2015, LRO's orbit altered to fly 30 kilometers above the Moon's south pole. This change allowed higher resolution data collection from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter and Diviner instruments. Software testing began in 2020 to use star trackers instead of the Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit turned off in 2018. The spacecraft has enough fuel to continue operations until at least 2026. A collision avoidance maneuver occurred on the 18th of October 2021 when Chandrayaan-2 orbiter approached dangerously close.
The first images from LRO published on the 2nd of July 2009 showed a region in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium. A topographic map based on LOLA instrument data released the 17th of December 2010 became the most accurate map of the Moon to date. By September 2015, LROC had imaged nearly three-fourths of the lunar surface at high resolution. These images revealed more than 3,000 lobate scarps across the global distribution. Scientists determined these faults form as the Moon shrinks under gravitational tidal forces from Earth. March 2016 reports used 14,092 narrow-angle camera temporal pairs to discover over 47,000 new splotches. These small areas show reflectance markedly different from surrounding terrain due to recent impacts. An impact flash observed from Earth on the 17th of March 2013 led to crater discovery by comparing image sets. Analysis of radar data obtained by LRO confirmed an underground cave presence in July 2024. This cave measures about 45 meters wide and at least 80 meters long within Mare Tranquillitatis.
Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project peers into permanently shadowed craters using ultraviolet light generated by stars. The Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector provides measurements that create maps for possible near-surface water ice deposits. NASA's LCROSS mission culminated with two lunar impacts at 11:31 and 11:36 UTC on October 9. Preliminary results indicated the presence of both water and hydroxyl ions in Cabeus crater near the south pole. An the 21st of August 2009 bistatic radar experiment attempted to detect water ice but proved unsuccessful. Mini-RF located potential water-ice despite transmitter anomalies starting the 4th of January 2011. The instrument collected more than 400 strips of radar data since September 2010 to meet science success criteria. Scientists used star trackers instead of the degrading Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit turned off in 2018. Data from these instruments helps characterize the radiation environment and locate resources for future missions.
LRO has provided images and precise locations of landers from previous and current lunar missions including Apollo sites. At an altitude of 50 kilometers, each narrow-angle camera images pixels about 0.5-meter across. The Lunar Roving Vehicles and Lunar Module descent stages cast clear shadows visible in high-resolution imagery. In 2024, the probe confirmed the highly accurate landing site of the first successful Japanese SLIM soft landing. Analysis of radar data obtained by LRO confirmed the presence of an underground cave on July 2024. This cave sits within Mare Tranquillitatis where Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot. The spacecraft maintains a full list of publications with science results on its website. About 1.6 million names were submitted to be placed in a microchip on the LRO before launch. The deadline for this public opportunity was the 31st of July 2008. The mission collected more than 192 terabytes of data during its exploration phase.
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Common questions
When did the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station?
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter lifted off on the 18th of June 2009. This launch marked the first United States mission to the Moon in over ten years.
What instruments does the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter carry to map lunar resources?
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter carries six instruments plus one technology demonstration to map lunar topography and resources. These include the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation, Diviner, Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project, Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector, Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera.
How much did the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission cost in total?
The total cost of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission reached US$583 million. Five hundred four million dollars pertained to the main probe while seventy-nine million covered the LCROSS satellite.
Where is the underground cave confirmed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter located?
Analysis of radar data obtained by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter confirmed an underground cave presence within Mare Tranquillitatis. This cave measures about 45 meters wide and at least 80 meters long near where Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot.
When will the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have enough fuel to continue operations?
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has enough fuel to continue operations until at least 2026. The spacecraft transitioned into a fuel-conserving quasi-frozen elliptical orbit for the remainder of its mission after entering lunar orbit on the 23rd of June 2009.