Question 1

True or false: LRO was built to search for signs of alien structures on the far side of the Moon.

Accepted Answer

False. LRO's purpose is scientific mapping and resource assessment for future human exploration, not alien archaeology.

Question 2

True or false: LRO has been orbiting the Moon for over a decade, far exceeding its original one-year mission.

Accepted Answer

True. Launched in 2009, LRO's primary mission was one year, but it continues operating, providing invaluable long-term data.

Question 3

True or false: LRO captured the first-ever images of the Apollo landing sites from orbit, showing tracks and equipment.

Accepted Answer

True. LRO's high-resolution images revealed Apollo descent stages, rover tracks, and even the American flags still standing.

Question 4

True or false: The LRO carries a miniaturized atomic clock for precise navigation tests in lunar orbit.

Accepted Answer

False. LRO does not have an atomic clock; that was on the Lunar Laser Ranging experiment, but LRO uses traditional tracking for mapping.

Question 5

True or false: LRO's camera can resolve objects as small as a beach ball on the lunar surface.

Accepted Answer

False. LRO's narrow-angle camera resolves about 0.5 meters per pixel, not small enough for a beach ball, which is ~0.3 meters.

Question 6

True or false: LRO's orbit is so low it occasionally skims above lunar mountain peaks at just 20 kilometers altitude.

Accepted Answer

False. LRO's typical orbit is about 50 km above the surface, but it never skims that low; 20 km would risk crashing.

Question 7

True or false: LRO discovered water ice in permanently shadowed craters at the Moon's south pole.

Accepted Answer

True. LRO's LAMP and Diviner instruments confirmed water ice in cold traps, a key surprise for future lunar missions.

Question 8

True or false: LRO carries a laser altimeter that shoots the Moon's surface 28 times per second to build 3D maps.

Accepted Answer

True. LOLA fires 28 laser pulses per second, measuring elevation to create the most precise lunar topographic maps ever.

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Trivia Questions