Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
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The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is an unmanned orbiter planned for launch to the Moon in 2008. It is an early element of the implementation of the United States Vision for Space Exploration and its objectives are primarily to support that policy, such as surveying lunar resources and identifying possible landing sites.
Under development by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, LRO is planned to be a large and sophisticated spacecraft in a polar orbit for a nominal mission of one Earth year. The project is still in the early planning stages. Areas of investigation will include: [1] (http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/dec/HQ_04407_lunar_orbiter.html)
- the lunar radiation environment
- the lunar polar regions, including possible water ice deposits
- high-resolution mapping to assist in the selection of landing sites