The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
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Articles | Volume XLII-1
https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-1-133-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-1-133-2018
26 Sep 2018
 | 26 Sep 2018

REVISITING THE APOLLO PHOTOGRAMMETRIC MAPPING SYSTEM

K. L. Edmundson, O. Alexandrov, B. A. Archinal, K. J. Becker, T. L. Becker, J. A. Mapel, Z. M. Moratto, A. V. Nefian, J. O. Richie, M. S. Robinson, M. R. Shepherd, J. R. Shinaman, and E. D. Smith

Keywords: Apollo, Mapping Systems, Metric Camera, Panoramic Camera, Photogrammetry

Abstract. The integrated photogrammetric mapping system flown on the last three Apollo lunar missions (AS15, AS16, and AS17) in 1971 and 1972 incorporated a Metric (mapping) Camera, a high-resolution Panoramic Camera, and a star camera and laser altimeter. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Astrogeology Science Center, the Intelligent Robotics Group of the NASA Ames Research Center, and Arizona State University are working together in an ongoing collaboration to achieve the most complete cartographic development of Apollo mapping system data into versatile digital map products. These will enable a variety of scientific/engineering uses of the data including mission planning, geologic mapping, geophysical process modelling, slope dependent correction of spectral data, and change detection. After a brief discussion of the origins of the mapping system, we describe the Metric and Panoramic cameras, processing of the associated image and support data, work to photogrammetrically control the Metric Camera images, and future plans.