Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Archives

The Moon Is Getting Slammed Way More Than We Thought

15 Oct , 2016 by Bob King

A new study of the current rate of meteoroid impacts on the Moon suggests that those iconic astronaut boot prints we thought would be around for 2 million years may instead disappear after something like 80,000!

Celebrate International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, Oct. 8 2016!

6 Oct , 2016 by Susie Murph

This Saturday, October 8, 2016, is International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN), an annual worldwide public event that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of our Moon and its connection to NASA planetary science and exploration. InOMN is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), and the Lunar and […]

GRAIL Data Points To Possible Lava Tubes On The Moon

5 Apr , 2016 by Matt Williams

Using data provided by NASA’s GRAIL mission, researchers from Purdue University have found more evidence of buried lava tubes on the Moon

NASA Receives Significant Budget Boost for Fiscal Year 2016

18 Dec , 2015 by Ken Kremer

NASA has just received a significant boost in the agency’s current budget after both chambers of Congress passed the $1.1 Trillion 2016 omnibus spending bill this morning, Friday, Dec. 18, which funds the US government through the remainder of the 2016 Fiscal Year.

Earthrise Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

18 Dec , 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

It’s been 47 years since Apollo 8 captured the famous Earthrise photo. Now the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s version is out. And it’s spectacular.

Earth and Mars Captured Together in One Photo from Lunar Orbit

13 Oct , 2014 by Nancy Atkinson

Wow, this doesn’t happen very often: Earth and Mars together in one photo. To make the image even more unique, it was taken from lunar orbit by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This two-for-one photo was was acquired in a single shot on May 24, 2014, by the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) on LRO as the […]

NASA Curiosity Rover Missing ‘Scientific Focus And Detail’ In Mars Mission: Review

4 Sep , 2014 by Elizabeth Howell

NASA’s planetary senior review panel harshly criticized the scientific return of the Curiosity rover in a report released yesterday (Sept. 3), saying the mission lacks focus and the team is taking actions that show they think the $2.5-billion mission is “too big to fail.” While the review did recommend the mission receive more funding — […]

What Does The Apollo 11 Moon Landing Site Look Like Today?

21 Jul , 2014 by Elizabeth Howell

Forty-five years ago yesterday, the Sea of Tranquility saw a brief flurry of activity when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin dared to disturb the ancient lunar dust. Now the site has lain quiet, untouched, for almost half a century. Are any traces of the astronauts still visible? The answer is yes! Look at the picture […]

Which Of These Moon Pictures Catches Your Eye? NASA Asks You To Pick The Best

23 May , 2014 by Elizabeth Howell

If you’re a fan of moon observation, it’s lucky for you that spacecraft such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter exist. For about the past five years, the NASA spacecraft has been in orbit around a closest large neighbor, taking images of the surface in high-definition. To celebrate LRO’s fifth anniversary, NASA is asking members of the public […]

Why The Eclipse Forced A Shutdown Of Lunar Spacecraft’s Instruments

15 Apr , 2014 by Elizabeth Howell

While people across North America marvelled at the blood-red moon early this morning, some NASA engineers had a different topic on their minds: making sure the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter would survive the period of extended shadow during the eclipse. LRO uses solar panels to get energy for its batteries, so for two passes through the […]

Universe TodaySpace and astronomy news