Planets and Moons ID: 3686

LRO/LOLA Lunar South Pole Flyover

Visualizations by Alex Kekesi Released on March 15, 2010

The Lunar Reconnaissance Oribiter (LRO) was launched on June 18, 2009. Its mission is to map the moon's surface, find safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology. One of the instruments on board is the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) which measures landing site slopes, lunar surface roughness, and has begun generation of a high resolution 3D map of the Moon.

This visualization uses Clementine data for the global view of the moon, but then transitions to using only LRO/LOLA DEM with a neutral gray texture when flying around the lunar south pole. The DEM by itself creates an amazingly realistic view of the lunar southpole. As better maps are created from the other instruments aboard LRO, an even clearer picture of the moon will emerge.

Please note that this visualization is match-frame rendered to The Moon's South Pole in 3D via LRO/LOLA First Light Data (#3633).

Print resolution still over the lunar south pole. Craters depicted in this image are Laveran, Wiechert, Amundsen, Faustini, Shackleton, Shoemaker, Scott, and Haworth.

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Visualization Credits

Alex Kekesi (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Lead Animator
Ernie Wright (UMBC): Animator
Marte Newcombe (GST): Animator
Andrew Freeberg (NASA/GSFC): Producer
David Smith (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
Gregory A. Neumann (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
John Keller (NASA/GSFC): Scientist
James W. Williams (GST): Project Support
Shiloh Heurich (GST): Project Support

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio