Morphometric Properties of the CP-21 Landing Site on the Moon at Mons Gruithuisen Gamma
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Characterizing terrain surface properties is an essential step in assessing the feasibility of landing successfully at a location on a planetary surface. Slopes and terrain ruggedness index (TRI) values derived from high-resolution (2 m pixel −1 ) digital terrain models provided important constraints in selecting the landing site for the upcoming Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon program as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services task order CP-21 mission. The selected landing site needed to balance safety requirements with the ability to achieve the science and exploration goals of the Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer payload. In this study, we compare several morphometric parameters in the context of the CP-21 landing site on Mons Gruithuisen Gamma, or the Gamma dome, and quantify the information they convey about lunar surface properties to assess their utility for future landing site evaluation. TRI was found to be a useful metric for assessing landing site safety. Metrics that better decouple slope and surface roughness, the vector ruggedness measure and the standard deviation of slope, provided additional information about surface characteristics and textures such as the degree to which roughness is isotropic.
Source: The Planetary Science Journal
DOI: 10.3847/psj/ae523b
Authors: Jean-Pierre Williams, Sarah Valencia, Kristen A. Bennett, Margaret E. Landis, Kerri L. Donaldson Hanna, Adrienne Dove, Patrick O’Brien, Brett W. Denevi, Justin Hagerty, Craig Hardgrove, Paul O. Hayne, Adam LaMee, Thomas H. Prettyman, Katherine A. Shirley, Matthew A. Siegler, Jessica M. Sunshine
Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles, Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park, United States Geological Survey, Northern Arizona University, Astrogeology Science Center, Arizona State University, University of Central Florida, University of Colorado Boulder, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, New Mexico Water Science Center, Planetary Science Institute, University of Oxford, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaii System
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,800
Award: G2295085664
OpenAlex ID: W7154207606