lro

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is a NASA robotic spacecraft designed to map the Moon and characterize its topography, composition, and space environment to support future exploration. It was developed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center with Lockheed Martin as prime contractor and launched on June 18, 2009 aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. After reaching the Moon, LRO entered a near-polar orbit at about 50 kilometers altitude, enabling high-resolution imaging and precise elevation measurements.

The spacecraft carries six instruments. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) has a Narrow Angle Camera and a Wide Angle Camera for detailed surface imaging. The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) provides precise topography. The Diviner radiometer maps surface temperatures. The Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) studies the tenuous lunar atmosphere with ultraviolet light. The Mini-RF radar investigates near-surface properties and subsurface structure. The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) measures the radiation environment.

LRO data have produced high-resolution maps, improved knowledge of the Moon's composition, and identified resources and hazards relevant to landers. It has helped locate permanently shadowed regions that may harbor water ice, guided landing-site selection for future missions, and supported global geologic studies. Data are publicly archived in NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS) and are accessible to researchers worldwide.

As of the mid-2020s, LRO remains in operation and continues to return data that support lunar science and exploration planning.