The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter team (managed by ASU held a press conference yesterday to announce a couple of milestones. Another set of 68,000+ images were released, and the mission moved to the Science Mission Directorate for a 2-year science mission, after completing its work of identifying potential landing sites for humans to return to the moon. [right, view of Earth's western hemisphere from LROC. Credit, NASA/GFSC/ASU]
In addition, they discussed the publication of 3 articles today in Science. The reports on silicic volcanoes are generating some buzz in the community.
- "Global Distribution of Large Lunar Craters: Implications for Resurfacing and Impactor Populations," by James W. Head and coauthors on the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter team;
- "Global Silicate Mineralogy of the Moon from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer," by Bejnamin Greenhagen and coauthors on the Diviner team; and
- "Highly Silicic Compositions on the Moon," by Timothy Glotch and coauthors on the Diviner team.
Thanks to the Planetary Society blog.