Ashwin R. Vasavada

An imaging radiometer for measurement of lunar polar cold trap temperatures

The LRO Radiometer Investigation is an experiment proposed for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter mission that will use a simple but extremely sensitive radiometer to measure the temperatures of the region of permanent shade at the lunar poles. Temperature governs the ability of these surfaces to act as cold traps, and tightly constrains the identity and lifetimes of potential volatile resources. The LRO Radiometer will also measure the night time temperature of the Moon, and use the extensive modeling experience of the team to use these data to produce maps of meter-scale rocks that constitute a significant hazard to landing and operations. The LRO Radiometer also supports LRO objectives by measuring the global abundance of meter scale rocks at 1 km resolution. This measurement is accomplished in four (4) months of observations.