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Mission record

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Also known as LRO

NASA · Launched

Explore trajectory

Active · Active

NASA robotic lunar polar orbiter launched on 18 June 2009 that maps the Moon's surface topography, temperature, composition and radiation environment, with emphasis on the polar regions and on identifying safe landing sites and resources such as water ice. Still operating in 2026, it is described by NASA as the longest-lived lunar orbiting mission ever.

Destinations
Launch vehicle
Atlas V 401
Launch site
Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Countries
United States
Mission types
Orbiter

Chronology

Mission timeline

  1. Launch

    Launch from Cape Canaveral on an Atlas V 401

    LRO launched along with its companion spacecraft, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), at 21:32 UT (5:32 p.m. EDT) on Atlas V 401 vehicle AV-020 from SLC-41.

    Earth

  2. Deployment

    LRO separates from LCROSS and the Centaur upper stage

    NSSDCA states "LRO and LCROSS separated at 22:16:43 UT" following launch; LRO was then put on a direct insertion trajectory to the Moon.

    Earth

  3. Orbit insertion

    Lunar orbit insertion

    After a roughly four-and-a-half-day journey from Earth, LRO fired its rocket motor on the far side of the Moon and entered an elliptical commissioning orbit, with initial parameters of roughly 30 x 216 km. Published times of day for the insertion differ between sources, so only the date is asserted.

    Moon

  4. Milestone

    LROC returns its first image of the Moon

    The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera returned its first image of the Moon, of an area near Mare Nubium, during instrument commissioning.

    Moon

  5. Milestone

    Primary one-year mapping mission begins from the 50 km science orbit

    The four engine firings of 23-27 June 2009 left LRO in its elliptical commissioning orbit rather than the mapping orbit. A separate Mission Orbit Insertion burn on 15 September 2009 placed LRO in its roughly circular 50 km (31 mile) polar orbit and began the primary one-year mission to map the lunar surface.

    Moon

  6. Milestone

    Science mission begins; SMD takes over from ESMD

    LRO completed its primary one-year mapping mission and began the phase officially designated the science mission, transferring programmatic control from NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to its Science Mission Directorate. The cited source states only the month, so no day is recorded.

    Moon

  7. Milestone

    Orbit lowered to a 20 x 165 km polar orbit with perilune near the south pole

    Controllers at Goddard Space Flight Center sent commands to LRO to fire its engines twice to change its orbit, taking it closer to the Moon than before - a polar orbit of about 12 x 102 miles (20 x 165 kilometers), with perilune near the lunar south pole.

    Moon

Mission architecture

Vehicles

  • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter · Orbiter · active

    Destinations: Moon

Trajectory record

Time-dependent navigation trajectory

Source states place the model at the selected time. Reconstructed flight, estimates, predictions and historical mission plans are identified by interval; gaps remain visible.

J2000 · Sun-centered display · positions interpolated between source states

Coverage: June 18, 2009 to June 15, 2026

Source records and sampling assumptions are retained with the repository data. Model attitude and surface appearance are illustrative.

  • Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Reconstructed · June 18, 2009 to June 15, 2026

Provenance

Sources

Each source is listed once and labeled with the mission, event, trajectory, or destination/body context it supports.

Data verified through August 23, 2026