Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA robotic spacecraft orbiting the Moon / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon in an eccentric polar mapping orbit.[6][7] Data collected by LRO have been described as essential for planning NASA's future human and robotic missions to the Moon.[8] Its detailed mapping program is identifying safe landing sites, locating potential resources on the Moon, characterizing the radiation environment, and demonstrating new technologies.[9][10]
Mission type | Lunar orbiter | ||||||||||||||||
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Operator | NASA | ||||||||||||||||
COSPAR ID | 2009-031A | ||||||||||||||||
SATCAT no. | 35315 | ||||||||||||||||
Website | lunar | ||||||||||||||||
Mission duration | |||||||||||||||||
Spacecraft properties | |||||||||||||||||
Manufacturer | NASA / GSFC | ||||||||||||||||
Launch mass | 1,916 kg (4,224 lb)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
Dry mass | 1,018 kg (2,244 lb)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
Payload mass | 92.6 kg (204 lb)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | Launch: 390 × 270 × 260 cm (152 × 108 × 103 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
Power | 1850 W[4] | ||||||||||||||||
Start of mission | |||||||||||||||||
Launch date | June 18, 2009, 21:32:00 (2009-06-18UTC21:32Z) UTC | ||||||||||||||||
Rocket | Atlas V 401 | ||||||||||||||||
Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | ||||||||||||||||
Contractor | United Launch Alliance | ||||||||||||||||
Entered service | September 15, 2009; 14 years ago (September 15, 2009) | ||||||||||||||||
Orbital parameters | |||||||||||||||||
Reference system | Selenocentric | ||||||||||||||||
Semi-major axis | 1,825 km (1,134 mi) | ||||||||||||||||
Periselene altitude | 20 km (12 mi) | ||||||||||||||||
Aposelene altitude | 165 km (103 mi) | ||||||||||||||||
Epoch | May 4, 2015[5] | ||||||||||||||||
Moon orbiter | |||||||||||||||||
Orbital insertion | June 23, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||
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Launched on June 18, 2009,[11] in conjunction with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), as the vanguard of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program,[12] LRO was the first United States mission to the Moon in over ten years.[13] LRO and LCROSS were launched as part of the United States's Vision for Space Exploration program.
The probe has made a 3-D map of the Moon's surface at 100-meter resolution and 98.2% coverage (excluding polar areas in deep shadow),[14] including 0.5-meter resolution images of Apollo landing sites.[15][16] The first images from LRO were published on July 2, 2009, showing a region in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium (Sea of Clouds).[17]
The total cost of the mission is reported as US$583 million, of which $504 million pertains to the main LRO probe and $79 million to the LCROSS satellite.[18] LRO has enough fuel to continue operations until at least 2026.[19]