[X] My Assistant

[Phil Stooke]

It's hard to estimate, but given the resources which could be applied to the problem, I would expect the LRO global altimetry data to be available for public use before Kaguya's data. That might be available in preliminary form a year or so after launch.

Phil

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

Gravity anomaly map was added:

http://wms.selene.jaxa.jp/

[charborob]

While everybody is concentrated on finding a route for Opportunity, here's a little diversion: an oblique view of Mt Pico by Kaguya here.

[ilbasso]

While everybody is concentrated on finding a route for Opportunity, here's a little diversion: an oblique view of Mt Pico by Kaguya here.

Views like that always remind me of how jagged we used to think lunar mountains were, viz this painting of Pico from Bonestell:

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2008/10/20081009_kaguya_e.html

I remain speechless...

[Phil Stooke]

Kaguya images of the interior of Shackleton crater are just about to be released...

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

They are now on Science Express, for people with a subscription. The interior is revealed in detail, but no sign of exposed ice. It could still be in the regolith, but there's no exposed ice sheet.

Phil

[charborob]

I suppose, due to copyright issues, that you can't post the images here (if there are any), for us poor non-subscribers.

[Phil Stooke]

True, but I would expect a release from JAXA very soon. There are images, and very nice ones too.

Phil

[Juramike]

space.com article here.

Easy water on the Moon? No (d)ice.

[antipode]

Is this really a surprise? I haven't read anything for some years that suggested that sheet ice would, or even could, survive on the surface. The question of ice in the regolith, its depth and concentration - still remains to be answered.

[Slightly OT but related, presumably Messenger will be able to use this scattered light 'trick' to confirm whether actual ice patches exist at Mercury's poles. I understand the ice signature there is stronger and less ambiguous]

P

[Phil Stooke]

I agree, not a surprise, but it's good to see the data. And more to the point, with images we can begin to plan rover access to the floor for future in situ studies.

Phil

[mchan]

That would be an extraordinary exploration, roving in perpetual night with perhaps headlights to illuminate the way forward.

[Phil Stooke]

Here are the pics:

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn15...-after-all.html

The rover missions are being actively considered for future flights by Google Lunar X Prize teams Astrobotic and Odyssey Moon, as well as ESA's Moon-Next mission and possibly by other agencies. There's a pretty good chance at least one will fly.

Phil

[mchan]

As I read the descriptions, these rover missions are not targeting the interior of a crater that never sees sunlight. It seems to me that a Shakleton rover would need a huge battery, an RTG, or a power cable unwinding to a base station in sunlight. I had somewhat whimsically metioned travel by headlights, but a low light image sensor would do for navigation and would save power. A flash would be good for taking wide spectrum photos without a lot of integration time and noise reduction.