Lunar Exploration Web and Mobile Applications

The objective of this project is to design and develop tools and applications in support of science and public outreach of Lunar exploration. This project includes the following three subprojects with their own specific requirements and deliverables:

1. Implement a new lighting analysis tool for the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Portal (LMMP, http://www.lmmp.nasa.gov). Given a high resolution digital elevation/terrain map of the lunar surface, compute the amount of light in watts/meter^2 that each point/area would receive from the sun, earth reflectance, and terrain reflectance.

2. Design and develop a multi-platform mobile application that allows user to use the 1) lighting tool and other existing LMMP hazard analysis tools to select safe landing sites and traversal paths in support of lunar robotic exploration. This is targeted for science, outreach and potentially commercial application.

3. Implement an application that can generate a virtual photograph for any given point on the lunar surface. The application will render a realistic "photograph" using data such as terrain height, visual imagery, sun/planet location, rocks and crater, star field, etc. This would be more of an outreach tool as opposed to 1)

Faculty advisors: Dr. Elaine Kang and Dr. Chengyu Sun

Graduate student: Richard Cross

Undergraduate students: Eddie Arevalo (Team leader), Kevin Huang, Howard Li, Alvaro Ortiz, Daniel Soto, Daniel Young