Targets for LRO Options

[PhilHorzempa]

You can imagine this to be a companion thread to the one requesting suggestions
for MRO targets on Mars.

The LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) is set to launch in a little over a year
from now. There was to a be a site selection workshop in May 2007, next month, but
I see now that it has been cancelled. Therefore, it appears that it is up to us, the UMSF
Community to take up the baton and help NASA out. It was done for New Horizons at Jupiter
and was very productive.

So, what are the sites that you would like to see imaged at 0.5 meter resolution by
LROC, LRO's High-Resolution camera?

My first suggestion would be to re-photograph the Surveyor 1 landing site to compare
it with the images obtained by Lunar Orbiter 3.

My second suggestion would be to photograph the Surveyor 6 landing area. This
should image S-6 itself, but even more interesting, it may capture images of
Surveyor 4, which should be only a mile or so away. This would help to
determine whatever happened to S-4, which abruptly stopped transmitting just
short of touchdown.



Another Phil

[Tom Tamlyn]

I've read that it will take a couple of months to fine tune the orbit.

How soon after that can we expect some high resolution pictures of an Apollo landing site?

(I realize that the scientific value isn't so high; I'm just eager to see them.)

TTT

[ugordan]

How soon after that can we expect some high resolution pictures of an Apollo landing site?

I read somewhere they will be trying to capture an image of the Apollo 11 landing site in time for the 40th anniversary.

[jmknapp]

I read somewhere they will be trying to capture an image of the Apollo 11 landing site in time for the 40th anniversary.

According to http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/whereislro/ LRO is currently traversing longitude 71E and 109W in its orbit. Since its longitude moves westward about one degree every two-hour orbit, it should fly pretty close to the Apollo 11 landing site (at 23E) in about 71 - 23 = 48 orbits or about 4 days. Could it happen?

Joe

[Stu]

Could it happen?

Hmmm... let me think... 40th anniversary coming up... Constellation floundering... public support for a "Return To The Moon" sorely lacking... conspiracy theorists insisting we never went to the Moon in the first place... a science-friendly but budget-reviewing new President to impress....

I'm guessing "yes".

[ugordan]

I'm guessing that even if it's taken, it won't be released until the actual anniversary date, probably on the day of the landing. Maximum PR impact etc.