Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Science Targeting Meeting (2009) 6002.pdf

CHARACTERIZATION OF LUNAR MINERALOGY: THE MOON MINERALOGY MAPPER (M3) ON CHANDRAYAAN-1. C. M. Pieters1, J. Boardman2, B. Buratti3, R. Clark4, J-P Combe5, R. Green3, J. W. Head III1, M. Hicks3, P. Isaacson1, R. Klima1, G. Kramer5, S. Lundeen3, E. Malaret7, T. B. McCord5, J. Mustard1, J. Nettles1, N. Petro8, C. Runyon9, M. Staid10, J. Sunshine11, L. Taylor12, S. Tompkins13, P. Varanasi3 1Dept. Geological Sci- ences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 ([email protected]), 2AIG, 3JPL, 4USGS Denver, 5Bear Fight Center, WA, 6ISRO-PRL, 7ACT, 8NASA Goddard, 9College of Charleston, 10PSI, 11Univ. MD, 12Univ. Tenn., 13DARPA.

The Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3, pronounced “m- M3 Measurement Modes cube”) is a state-of-the-art high spectral resolution imag- All M3 Spectroscopic data (from 100 km orbit): ing spectrometer that is orbiting the Moon on 40 km FOV, contiguous orbits Chandrayaan-1, the Indian Space Research Organization 0.70 to 3.0 µm [0.43 to 3.0 µm achieved] (ISRO) mission to the Moon. M3 is one of several for- Targeted Mode: Full Resolution Science targets eign instruments chosen by ISRO to be flown on 70 m/pixel spatial (600 pixel crosstrack) Chandrayaan-1 to complement the strong ISRO payload. 10 nm spectral [260 bands] M3 is a NASA Discovery Mission of Opportunity se- Global Mode: Lower Resolution Global Coverage lected through peer-review as part of the SMD 140 m/pixel spatial (300 pixel crosstrack) Discovery Program. 20 & 40 nm selected (85 bands, averaging) The type and composition of minerals that comprise a planetary surface are a direct result of the initial compo- In February 2009, Chandrayaan-1 completed its pri- sition and later thermal and physical processing. Lunar mary commissioning phase. During this initial period M3 mineralogy seen today is a direct record of the early evo- operated principally in Global Mode. The low resolution lution of the lunar crust and subsequent geologic Global Mode M3 coverage achieved for the nearside is processes. Specifically, the distribution and concentra- shown in Figure 1. A closer view of one band of several tion of individual minerals or groups of minerals is neighboring M3 swaths is shown in Figure 2. Both im- closely tied to magma ocean products, lenses of intruded ages are compressed to meet abstract requirements. Pre- or remelted plutons, basaltic volcanism and fire- calibration assessment of these data (over one billion fountaining, and any process (e.g. cratering) that might spectra) indicates they are of excellent quality, meeting redistribute or transform primary and secondary lunar all instrument requirements for science. Early results are crustal materials. The primary science goal of M3 is to presented in [1, 2]; a descriptive overview of M3 is found characterize and map lunar surface mineralogy in the in [3] along with other Chandrayaan-1 instruments. context of its geologic evolution, and the primary explo- At least three full optical imaging periods are planned ration goal is to assess and map lunar mineral resources over the next two years. For M3, we have two prime at high spatial resolution to support planning for future, measurement periods in each imaging period. Our plans targeted missions. are to complete M3 coverage for the entire Moon using M3 is first and foremost a near-infrared spectrometer the 140 m Global mode and to then acquire optimum full designed to accurately measure diagnostic mineral ab- resolution data (Target mode) for the highest priority sorption features. To meet the above science and science targets. exploration goals, M3 acquires spectra in image format (all spectral channels co-registered to < 0.1 pixel). M3 References: 1) Pieters et al., 2009, LPSC40 #2052 2) operates in two measurement modes as summarized be- Green et al., 2009, LPSC40 #2307. 3) Pieters et al., low. 2009, Current Science, Vol. 96, No. 4.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Science Targeting Meeting (2009) 6002.pdf

Figure 1. Overview of M3 Global mode coverage acquired in February at the end of commissioning phase of the first optical period of Chandrayaan-1. Each M3 data swath is 40 km wide. Shown is one channel of M3 data. No photometric corrections have been made, but since each swath is scaled independently, swath boundaries are evident. (Background is Clementine )

Figure 2. Subset of Fig. 1 containing Kepler crater. This M3 image includes 8 orbits of data. A M3spectrum exists for each pixel.