LROC Coordinates of Robotic Spacecraft

Repeatedly imaging anthropogenic targets on the Moon is an LROC team priority. As each image comes down we carefully search for the hardware (or impact crater). If the target is not in the image we try again next month, imaging on either side of the first observation. Additionally, we re-image targets once they are found to enable more precise estimates of their latitude and longitude coordinates, and provide more information concerning local morphology and albedo.

Listing of all Soviet and American robotic space hardware that have been identified by the LROC Team. The lines and samples are from the EDR files prior to any map-projection or transformation. Some targets that are not on the list may have been tentatively identified but we are awaiting confirmation from images yet to be acquired. Coordinates are in the mean Earth reference projected onto a sphere. Currently the precision of these coordinates are better than 200 meters in all cases, and as high as 100 meters in a few. As LOLA topography is folded into the solution, and orbit determinations improve, the coordinate precision and accuracy will increase. Most of these images are available in the recent PDS release, the rest will be posted in June. Enjoy!

*not confirmed, awaiting new images

TargetImageSampleLineLatitudeLongitude
Ranger 6M111456730L4588189909.38821.480
Ranger 8M116154252L578242382.63824.787
Ranger 9M109250398R141410613-12.828357.613
M117507817L191326692
Surveyor 1M102443995L141824641-2.474316.661
M122495769L132243940
Surveyor 3M104662862R97520400-3.015336.582
M107035386R477119444
M109386083R35725603
M114104917R32481962
M117650516R36712425
M120005333R296449244
M120012135R30461824
Surveyor 5M102000149L5218641.46123.195
M102007306R21972431
M106726943L433815768
Surveyor 6M117501284L346311140.473358.573
Surveyor 7M119936760R141432659-40.980348.491
A13 SIVBM109420042L4376513-2.553332.113
A14 SIVBM107049825R370324329-8.179333.969
M111762553R371725033
M120025601L443027587
A15 SIVBM109311328L13898103-1.288348.176
M106949300R264718382
A17 SIVBM106956532L419613370-4.167347.670
M109318172R43620274
M111674228R115519239
Luna 17 LanderM104747893L46331305438.238325.003
M107106240L126825834
M114185541R319021978
Lunokhod 1M104747893L45221158338.316324.996
M107106240L116923437
M114185541R354617681
Luna 21 LanderM101971016L4180528826.00330.408
M106669064L285924290
M122007650L326235186
Lunokhod 2M109039075L27062721825.82730.919
M119646179L148224617
Luna 18*M119482862R3189282213.76056.655
Luna 20M104147428L3493202403.78756.625
M106504563L488829956
M108862844L503412172
M108862844R15012028
M111219210L354013220
M119482862R97829618
Luna 24M106461361L9821921212.71462.213
M111185087L267037996
M119449091R176131854
Luna 23M106468527R37912547912.66662.151
M111185087R138740480
M119449091L285229327
Luna 16M106511834L257817653-0.51356.364

Published by Samuel Lawrence on 5 April 2010