Mid‐Infrared Compositional Spectral Parameters for the Lunar Thermal Mapper Instrument Onboard Lunar Trailblazer

Journal article

Plain Language Summary: The Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) is one of two instruments on the Lunar Trailblazer mission launched in February 2025. LTM's primary goal is to provide surface temperature measurements for the lunar surface, in particular for identifying and mapping water on the Moon. LTM is also capable of identifying the compositional and physical properties of different rocks on the surface. Here, we test those capabilities and determine five methods for quickly distinguishing bulk properties of the lunar rocks that can be used by the community to identify regions of interest for further investigation.

Authors: Shirley, KA; Donaldson Hanna, KL; Bowles, NE; Habib, N; Elkington, N

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: Earth and Space Science
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 5
• Article number: e2025EA004590
• Publication date: 2026-05-04
• Acceptance date: 2026-03-07
• DOI: 10.1029/2025ea004590
• EISSN: 2333-5084
• ISSN: 2333-5084
• Language: English
• Keywords: thermal/mid‐infrared spectroscopy; lunar regolith; Lunar Trailblazer; Lunar Thermal Mapper