[X] My Assistant

[Paolo Amoroso]

Given the emotional interest in closeup views of Apollo landing sites, and the debate on the preservation of historical lunar sites, I was wondering whether technological advances may reduce the need for rovers or other vehicles coming too close to the sites to get such views.

Given the resolving power of LRO's LROC camera, I expect technology to improve and provide even better resolution in a relatively short time. With such powerful cameras, would it be possible to get oblique views of Apollo sites from lunar orbit approximating the ones from a rover or a vehicle close to the sites? What are the major challenges? Spacecraft attitude control and camera pointing? Horizon curvature? Mountains, local relief and other obstacles along the line of sight?

This would not address, however, the need to come close for engineering studies or other purposes.


Paolo Amoroso

[djellison]

To get an oblique angle, you end up much further away than your normal orbital altitude. 90k instead of 30k for example. So LRO's res of 50cm/pixel would drop to 1.5m/pixel.

Doug