Featured Images

Question Answered!

LRO slewed 19° down-Sun allowing the illuminated side of the still standing American flag to be captured at the Apollo 17 landing site. M113751661L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 27 Jul 2012

Mare Crisium: Failure then Success

Luna 24 landed on the northwestern rim of a 64 m diameter impact crater, on the volcanic plains of Mare Crisium. Enlargement of lander at lower left, NAC M174868307L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 16 Mar 2012

Lunokhod 1 Revisited

Lunokhod 1 rover in its final parking place (38.315°N, 324.992°E) on the surface of Mare Imbrium. The inset in the lower left shows an expanded view of the rover. LROC NAC image M175502049RE. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 14 Mar 2012

Lunokhod 2 Revisited

Lunokhod 2 rover parked facing southeast with the lid still open. Rover tracks extend north to the final parking place. The inset is a zoomed in view of the rover, the main rover body is labeled B, the open lid is labeled L and the...

Published on 13 Mar 2012

A Stark Beauty All Its Own

LROC's best look yet at the Apollo 11 Landing site. The remnants of Armstrong and Aldrin's historic first steps on the surface are seen as dark paths around the Lunar Module (LM), Lunar Ranging RetroReflector (LRRR) and Passive Seismic...

Published on 07 Mar 2012

Follow the Tracks

Apollo 15 landing site imaged from an altitude of 25 km (M175252641L,R) allowing an even higher resolution view! The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is parked to the far right, and the Lunar Module descent stage is in the center, LRV tracks...

Published on 05 Mar 2012

Just Another Crater?

Not ordinary - amazing! What makes this 110 meter diameter crater stand out from the rest? LROC NAC M175077349L, 225 meters wide, 25 cm pixel scale, north is up [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 12 Dec 2011

Hadley Rille and the Mountains of the Moon

The NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter rolled to capture this dramatic oblique view of the Apollo 15 landing site. Hadley rille, a great chasm in the lunar surface, carves its way through the center of this scene [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State...

Published on 04 Nov 2011

Skimming the Moon

Low periapsis Narrow Angle Camera image of the Apollo 17 Landing Site. Image is 150 meters wide, Sun from the left, north towards top [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 06 Sep 2011

Sampling Schrödinger

Boulders rolled down an incline on a terrace near the Schrödinger basin rim. Boulders are ~20 to 30 m in size. Image width is ~1.2 km, downslope direction to upper left, LROC NAC M159017963R [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 17 Aug 2011

Apollo 16, Footsteps Under High Sun

High-sun image of the Apollo 16 landing site showing the lunar module descent stage, various pieces of equipment, and disturbed lunar soil (seen as darker lines and areas) which marks where John Young and Charles Duke traversed in the...

Published on 08 Jul 2010

Rocket impacts recorded by the Apollo seismic network

Bang! On April 14th 1970, the Apollo 13 Saturn IVB upper stage impacted the Moon North of Mare Cognitum, at -2.55° latitude, -27.88° East longitude. The impact crater, which is roughly 30 meters in diameter, is clearly visible in LROC...

Published on 22 Mar 2010

Luna 21 Lander

Luna 21 lander delivered the Lunokhod 2 rover to the floor of Le Monnier crater in January 1973, LROC NAC Image M122007650LE [NASA/GSFC/ Arizona State University].

Published on 19 Mar 2010

Soviet Union Lunar Sample Return Missions

On February 21, 1972, Luna 20 soft landed in the rugged highlands between Mare Fecunditatis and Mare Crisium. The next day a sample return capsule blasted off carrying 55 grams of lunar soil. The Luna 20 descent stage still sits...

Published on 15 Mar 2010

Exploring the Apollo 17 Site

The Apollo 17 Lunar Module Challenger descent stage comes into focus from the new lower 50-km mapping orbit, image width is 102 meters [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 28 Oct 2009

Surveyor 1 - America’s first soft lunar landing

Surveyor 1 spacecraft sitting silently on Oceanus Procellarum, the first US spacecraft to land on another planet (June 2, 1966). The image was taken in the lunar afternoon such that the sun in low on the western horizon and the 3.3...

Published on 30 Sep 2009

The Moon in 3D

Spectacular view of Lee Lincoln scarp obtained in stereo by imaging off-nadir (looking off to the side) from two adjacent orbits. Scene is approximately 2.7 km across [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].

Published on 21 Jul 2009