Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft launched on June 18, 2009. It operates in a low polar orbit around the Moon and is mapping the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, measuring topography, radiation, temperature, and resources. Its data help identify safe landing sites, locate water ice in shadowed regions, and support future human and robotic exploration.
Source: science.nasa.gov
APODs including "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter"
Odysseus on the Moon
02/03/2024
Methalox rocket engine firing, Odysseus' landing legs absorb first contact with the lunar surface in this wide-angle snapshot from a camera on board the robotic Intuitive Machines Nova-C moon lander. Following the landing on February 22, broken landing legs, visible in the image, ultimately left the lander at rest but tilted. Odysseus' gentle lean into a sloping lunar surface preserved the phone booth-sized lander's ability to operate, collect solar power, and return images and data to Earth. Its exact landing site in the Moon's far south polar region was imaged by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Donated by NASA, the American flag seen on the lander's central panel is 1970 Apollo program flight hardware.