"In 2007, the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP) began a process to convert the Lunar Orbiter Images directly from the original analog video recordings of the spacecraft data to digital image format, a change which provided vastly improved resolution over the original images released in the 1960s. The first of these restored images were released in late 2008."
2. Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project
Adventures in Techno-Archeology,
Restoring Lunar Images for a New Generation of Exploration
Friday, June 12, 2009
3. In the Beginning
1966-67 - five NASA
spacecraft mapped the
moon in unequaled
quality
1986 - almost 2000
original 1960’s hi-def
analog tapes were saved
2008 - last surviving tape
drives were revived from
oblivion
Friday, June 12, 2009
13. Lunar Orbiter
Tapes 1986
• Nancy Evans, a NASA scientist, was
asked “What to Do With These
Tapes?”
• She ordered the tapes sent to JPL
and located surplus tape drives
• Project languished due to NASA’s
lack of interest
Friday, June 12, 2009
33. -&./01*(23405*$-5678$
!quot;#$%&''()*$+*,'*$
?@/$+(*B$(*)A$
quot;5'2*$%&''A$+(*$
Notice the image shear,
!quot;#%&''9:;+,;<=>?$.5@(2$ correlated with the nicks
Notice the little nicks
in the left edge
No DFT DFT factor 1.0
First 2 frequencies
Friday, June 12, 2009
34. Got rid of the nicks
but not the shear
Got rid of the shear
(yes, they were related)
DFT Factor 1.25 DFT Factor 1.25
Friday, June 12, 2009
35. 1 thru 4 are spread sheet tests, using actual data from runs. 5 is a record for a test in the image
processing code, using the first synchronization bucket on this data set. Note the similarity to 4. The
reason for the false signal before actual detection is the presence of a fiduciary marker in the data.
Friday, June 12, 2009
36. Second
Image
Life Magazine’s
“Image of the Century”
Friday, June 12, 2009
37. Original vs Recovered Image
The LOIRP Recovered Version Has Greater Tonal Variation Allowing
for Measurements not Available Before
Friday, June 12, 2009
38. Dennis:
Add Sur veyor 1 Image
Friday, June 12, 2009
39. Dennis:
Add Sur veyor 1 Image
Friday, June 12, 2009
43. OpenCL
Enables deeper data sets including:
• Multi Spectral Remote sensing
• Real time navigation of images in 3D
• Multi core data processing
Friday, June 12, 2009