The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is an unmanned spacecraft designed to create a comprehensive atlas of the moon's physical features, radiation environment, temperatures, and resources. The mission places special emphasis on the moon's polar regions, where permanently shadowed craters may contain significant amounts of water ice that future human explorers might be able to exploit. LRO launched on June 18, 2009.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is an unmanned spacecraft designed to create a comprehensive atlas of the moon's physical features, radiation environment, temperatures, and resources. The mission places special emphasis on the moon's polar regions, where permanently shadowed craters may contain significant amounts of water ice that future human explorers might be able to exploit. LRO launched on June 18, 2009.
Related Publications
2025.
"First Use of Laser Ranging to Surface Retroreflectors for Orbit Determination: LRO-LOLA at the Moon.",
The Planetary Science Journal,
6
(10):
247
[10.3847/psj/ae0e0b]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2025.
"Shallow Crustal Density in the Lunar South Polar Region.",
The Planetary Science Journal,
6
(8):
191
[10.3847/psj/adf05f]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2025.
"Large-scale Roughness Properties of the Lunar North and South Polar Regions as Measured by the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA).",
The Planetary Science Journal,
6
(4):
83[Full Text]
[10.3847/psj/adbc9d]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2024.
"Evidence for Widespread Hydrogen Sequestration within the Moon’s South Pole Cold Traps.",
The Planetary Science Journal,
5
(10):
217
[10.3847/psj/ad5b55]
[Journal Article/Letter]
2024.
"A Low‐Viscosity Lower Lunar Mantle Implied by Measured Monthly and Yearly Tides.",
AGU Advances,
5
(5):
[10.1029/2024av001285]
[Journal Article/Letter]
