Unlike the Apollo program, which landed astronauts at the lunar equator, the south polar region, specifically the Shackleton Crater, is a favoured location for the Orion mission. It is adjacent to a permanently dark area that might contain water ice, crucial for future permanent bases to ‘live off the land’.
To identify the potential resources and hazards, The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is due to reconnoitre the Moon in late 2008. It will return high quality images of the surface at the lunar poles with resolutions to 1 meter.
To identify the potential resources and hazards, The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is due to reconnoitre the Moon in late 2008. It will return high quality images of the surface at the lunar poles with resolutions to 1 meter.