New mosaic of Shackleton crater. Credit: Mosaic created by LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) and ShadowCam team with images provided by NASA/KARI/ASU
LROC and ShadowCam collaboratively reveal the Shackleton Crater mosaic, providing unparalleled insight into the moon’s South Pole and its potential ice deposits, thereby aiding future lunar exploration missions.
The new mosaic of Shackleton Crater displays powerful synergy between two lunar-orbiting cameras working together to reveal unprecedented detail of the moon’s south polar region.
This mosaic was created using photographs he obtained LROC (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera)which has been in operation since 2009, and from ShadowCam, a NASA An instrument on the Kari (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) spacecraft called Danori, which Launched In August 2022. ShadowCam was developed by Malin Space Science Systems and Arizona State University.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been studying the Moon since June 2009. Source: NASA
Complementary capabilities of LROC and ShadowCam
LROC can take detailed images of the Moon’s surface, but its capabilities are limited in photographing parts of the Moon that are dark and never receive direct sunlight, known as areas in permanent shadow. ShadowCam is 200 times more sensitive to light than LROC and can operate successfully in very low light conditions. Revealing features and terrain details are not visible to LROC. ShadowCam relies on sunlight reflecting off geological features of the moon or Earth to capture images in shadow.
However, ShadowCam’s sensitivity to light means it cannot capture images of directly illuminated parts of the Moon, resulting in oversaturated results. With each camera optimized for the specific lighting conditions found near the lunar poles, analysts can combine images from both instruments to create a comprehensive visual map of the terrain and geological features of the brightest and darkest parts of the Moon. Permanently shaded areas in this mosaic, such as the interior floor and walls of Shackleton Crater, are visible in great detail thanks to images from ShadowCam. In contrast, the sunlit areas of this mosaic, such as the rim and sides of the crater, are images collected by LROC.
Artist’s illustration of ShadowCam mapping Shackleton Crater. Credit: NASA
Scientific and exploratory effects
Using ShadowCam, NASA can image permanently shadowed areas of the Moon in greater detail than ever before, giving scientists a better view of the Moon’s south polar region. This area has never been explored by humans and is of great interest to science and exploration because it is believed to contain glacial deposits or other frozen volatile substances. Scientists believe that layers of icy deposits have existed on the Moon for millions or billions of years, and being able to study the samples could improve our understanding of how the Moon and our solar system evolved. Ice deposits can also be an important resource for exploration because they contain hydrogen and oxygen that can be used as rocket fuel or life support systems.
A more complete map of the lunar South Pole region is useful for future lunar surface exploration efforts, such as the VIPER (Volatile Polar Exploration Probe) and Artemis missions, which will return humans to the lunar surface and establish a long-term presence on the Moon. .
About LROC
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) is a camera system on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft. Launched in 2009, LROC was designed to capture high-resolution images of the lunar surface. Its primary goals are to help find safe landing sites, identify potential resources, study the lunar environment, and demonstrate new technologies. Detailed images from LROC have provided invaluable insight into the Moon’s topography and geology, and have aided many scientific and exploration missions.
About ShadowCam
ShadowCam is a camera instrument that is very sensitive to light on the KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) spacecraft, Danori. Developed by Malin Space Science Systems and Arizona State University for NASA, this camera was specifically designed to capture images of permanently shaded areas of the Moon, areas that never receive direct sunlight. Capable of operating successfully in very low light conditions, ShadowCam utilizes sunlight reflecting off geological features of the moon or Earth to reveal image features and terrain details that other instruments, such as LROC, cannot see. Launched in August 2022, this system complements other lunar imaging systems by revealing details of the moon’s darkest regions.
2023-09-21 12:04:41
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