Evidence layer

Lunar mission instruments

Mission results make more sense when you know how the evidence was collected. This reference connects spacecraft instruments with the physical quantity they measure and the lunar question that measurement helps answer.

Search instrumentsInstrument type

Mission	Instrument	Type	What it measures	What that evidence helps explain
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter	LROC Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera	Imaging system	High-resolution and wide-angle surface imagery	Landing-site mapping, geology, surface change and exploration planning
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter	LOLA Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter	Laser altimeter	Surface elevation and topography	Global shape, slopes, illumination modelling and landing-site analysis
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter	Diviner Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment	Thermal radiometer	Surface temperature and thermal emission	Thermal environment and polar cold traps
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter	LEND Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector	Neutron detector	Neutron flux related to hydrogen abundance	Polar hydrogen and volatile studies
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter	LAMP Lyman Alpha Mapping Project	Ultraviolet spectrograph	Far-ultraviolet reflectance and exospheric emissions	Permanently shadowed regions and lunar exosphere
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter	Mini-RF Miniature Radio Frequency	Synthetic aperture radar	Radar backscatter and surface properties	Polar terrain and candidate ice-related radar signatures
GRAIL	LGRS Lunar Gravity Ranging System	Ka-band ranging system	Changes in distance between the twin spacecraft	High-resolution reconstruction of the lunar gravity field and interior
Chandrayaan-1	M3 Moon Mineralogy Mapper	Imaging spectrometer	Reflected near-infrared spectra	Mineralogy and hydration signatures across the lunar surface
Chandrayaan-1	Mini-SAR Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar	Radar	Polar radar backscatter	Investigation of unusual polar radar properties and candidate ice deposits
Chandrayaan-1	TMC Terrain Mapping Camera	Stereo camera	Three-dimensional surface imaging	Topography and morphology
Chandrayaan-2	OHRC Orbiter High Resolution Camera	High-resolution camera	Detailed surface imagery	Landing-site characterisation and geological mapping
Chandrayaan-2	IIRS Imaging Infrared Spectrometer	Imaging spectrometer	Surface mineralogy and hydration-sensitive spectral features	Composition and volatile-related studies
Chandrayaan-3	ChaSTE Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment	Thermal probe	Near-surface temperature profile	Local thermophysical properties at the landing site
Chandrayaan-3	ILSA Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity	Seismometer	Local vibrations and seismic events	Lunar seismic environment near the landing site
Chandrayaan-3	RAMBHA-LP Langmuir Probe	Plasma instrument	Near-surface plasma density and variation	Surface plasma environment
Chandrayaan-3	APXS Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer	Elemental spectrometer	Elemental composition of rocks and regolith	Local surface chemistry
Chandrayaan-3	LIBS Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope	Laser spectrometer	Elemental composition through laser-produced plasma	In-situ regolith chemistry
LCROSS	Spectrometers LCROSS spectrometer suite	Visible, near-infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy	Composition of the impact plume	Direct detection of water and other volatile species excavated from Cabeus

Use the evidence

South Pole ExplorerSee how neutron, radar, infrared and impact measurements provide different kinds of volatile evidence.Lunar GeologyConnect orbital measurements with surface history.Sample ExplorerCompare remote measurements with laboratory ground truth.