Image Above : LOLA Engineering Model
The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) will provide a precise global lunar topographic model and geodetic grid that will serve as the foundation of essential lunar understanding. This will aid future missions by providing topographical data for safe landings and enhance exploration-driven mobility on the Moon. LOLA will also contribute to decisions as to where to explore by looking at the evolution of the surface.
LOLA is a heritage instrument based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) (flown on Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft) and Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) (currently on MESSENGER). LOLA will perform the same type of work MOLA did at the Moon, but with 3-5 times greater vertical accuracy and 14 times more measurements along the spacecraft ground track.
LOLA's overarching objectives will greatly advance the Nation's Space Exploration Initiative:
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+ | Produce a high-resolution global topographic model and global geodetic framework that enables precise targeting, safe landing, and surface mobility to carry out exploratory activities. These models will be of considerably greater detail than those of all previous lunar missions.
| | + | Characterize the polar illumination environment, and image permanently shadowed polar regions of the Moon to identify possible locations of surface ice crystals in shadowed polar craters.
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