Kodak Explores The Moon

Yahoo: With the scheduled launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, imaging technology from Kodak will be used to create a comprehensive atlas of the moon’s features and resources to aid in the design of a future manned lunar outpost.

The orbiter’s Wide Angle Camera will provide a “big picture” view of the moon by capturing images with 100-meter resolution. Based on the KODAK KAI-1001 Image Sensor, a one-megapixel device that provides both high sensitivity and high dynamic range, this camera will also use seven different color bands to identify spectral signatures of minerals that may be present on the moon’s surface.

Two Narrow Angle Cameras on the orbiter will capture high-resolution images of the moon’s surface at 0.5 meter-per-pixel using KODAK KLI-5001 Image Sensors, providing the same level of detail as the highest resolution satellite images of Earth commercially available today. As it fulfills its primary mission to map the surface of the moon, the LRO will also fly over landing sites from the historic Apollo missions, allowing these high-resolution cameras to capture the first images of Apollo-era artifacts from lunar orbit.