The mapping of the Moon’s navigation chart is underway
The mapping of the Moon's navigation chart is underway
Whitworth, speaking at the GEOINT Conference held in St. Louis, said, “Today, we are developing an Lunar geodetic system in collaboration with NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Space Force, and the Space Command, which will guide future visitors on the lunar surface as accurately and securely as GPS does on Earth.”
Whitworth explained that the system, called the “Lunar Reference Framework,” will serve a similar function to the Earth Geodetic System by providing precise and accurate latitude, longitude, and time data, supporting navigation capabilities like GPS. He mentioned that they are currently working on an lunar-based system, but they also plan to develop similar navigation systems for other planets in the future.
Whitworth emphasized that this endeavor is part of the vision for commercial companies and countries, including the United States, to plan lunar travel and establish an economy on the Moon.
The project is being managed by the Pentagon
James Griffith, the Director of Source and Operations Management at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, stated in a briefing to the U.S. media that the project is being managed by the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon).
Griffith highlighted that the main challenge in this project is how to collect data on the Moon, stating, “The Moon operates in a very different way from Earth. We know what kind of data we need, but we don’t know how to collect it in that kind of environment because our vehicles are not configured for it. Therefore, we need to conduct a lot of exploration to develop a real reference framework.”
GEOINT Conference
The GEOINT Conference is an annual event focused on the fields of geospatial intelligence and geointelligence. GEOINT stands for Geospatial Intelligence, which involves the collection, analysis, and visualization of geospatial data to provide insights and support decision-making in various sectors, including defense, intelligence, and homeland security.
The conference brings together professionals, experts, researchers, and leaders from government, military, industry, academia, and other organizations involved in geospatial intelligence. It serves as a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and discussing the latest advancements, technologies, and trends in the field.
Source: AA
