New Lunar Project Funded for Dr. Rongxing (Ron) Li
Lowber B. Strange Professor and Director, Mapping & GIS Laboratory, The Ohio State University

Dr. Ron Li has just been chose as Participating Scientist of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. This 3-year grant (4/1/08 – 3/31/11) permits OSU planetary exploration science to secure a firm present in the latest NASA focus: lunar exploration. Co-I of the project is Dr. Kaichang Di, Research Scientist at the Mapping & GIS Laboratory, Dept. of Civil & Env. Engineering & Geodetic Science. Dr. Li and his team have been performing high precision mapping and localization for the Mars Exploration Rover mission since 2003. This new research builds upon our successful Mars methodologies to support lunar exploration. The proposal is entitled "Integration of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) Data for Precision Lunar Topographic Mapping and Landing Sites Assessment". In this Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Participating Scientists (PSs) project, Dr. Li proposes to integrate the data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) and Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) to provide the first highly accurate 3-D lunar cartographic maps. These maps are particularly important for the assessment of lunar surface features as possible landing sites for future lunar landed missions.

The developed accurate photogrammetric processing model and integrated mapping products will be critical tools for supporting landing site identification and assessment, and other scientific investigation during mission operations. Project objectives include:

1) To develop a strict 3-D stereo photogrammetric model for LROC imagery based on push-broom and frame imaging principles,

2) To develop a method for combined bundle adjustment of LROC and LOLA data to improve the absolute accuracy of LROC images by incorporating LOLA data as absolute ground control,

3) To develop innovative methodology to integrate LROC imagery and LOLA data in order to produce the highest level of resolution and the most comprehensive data set that will include highly accurate 3-D topographic terrain models, orthophotos, and 3-D surface feature measurements, and

4) To apply the developed model and methods to support candidate site assessment for future lunar landing and enable high precision in scientific investigations during mission operations.