Lunar module descent stages from the Apollo programme era could be photographed where they remain on the Moon during the first robotic mission to be carried out under USPresident George Bush's Project Constellation exploration initiative.
A high-resolution camera on the first of NASA's robot lunar probes, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), could take the photographs while carrying out its mapping mission in 2008. NASA's Surveyor landers that pre-date Apollo, and the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 lunar rovers, could also be photographed. Although payload decisions for the LRO will not be made until November, Lockheed Martin has revealed details of the probe it is offering NASA.
Lockheed Martin vice-president for space exploration John Karas says: "I would anticipate for LRO a resolution of 40-20cm. With that you could find the Surveyors left in the 1960s."
Source: Flight International
