Mission Moon

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Slide 21

Topography

A lunar outpost will have to be built in a safe, relatively flat location that is easy to reach on foot or by Moon buggy.

Apollo 15 Landing Site

Slide 22

Other Considerations

What science can we do? Depending on where we go, we can learn different things about how the Moon formed and has changed. We can set up telescopes

to monitor Earth

or to look deep

into space.

Slide 23

When we select a lunar outpost site, we need to consider all of these things!

Shelter

Power

Food

Water

Earth communications

Tools / equipment

Ways to move around

Slide 24

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission

Slide 25

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission

LRO spacecraft launched on June 18, 2009

It will orbit the Moon, collecting data to:

Characterize solar radiation on the lunar surface and how it might impact humans and materials

Make a high resolution global, 3-D map of the Moon’s surface so we can select landing sites

Make very detailed maps of the Moon’s resources and the Moon’s polar regions to see if water ice is present.

Slide 26

Mission: Moon!

Just like NASA teams of scientists and engineers, you and your team will propose a site for a future lunar outpost and debate why it should be chosen.

Your Mission:

Review the data for the different possible lunar outpost sites

Select the site that has the fewest risks and most benefits in your view