162-2 Making Maps That Matter: The Lunar Mapping Program as an Exploration-Focused Experiment in Geologic Cartography

Session: Planetary Geologic Mapping Across the Solar System

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Artemis missions to the lunar south pole challenge traditional geologic mapping methods to integrate exploration and safety considerations with the geosciences. The Lunar Mapping Program (LMAP), funded by NASA and executed by USGS, aims to address this challenge through conceptual, multi-scale geologic maps of the Shackleton–de Gerlache region at nested 1:150K and 1:30K scales. Maps are being developed by a competitively selected team (LMAP Alpha) with USGS in a supporting scientific and technical role. Our goal is not to finalize what we know, but to create products that support decision-making within mission uncertainties – exploring what mapping should look like when the priority is geologic access, terrain safety, and science potential, not just unit delineation and classification. To achieve this, we integrate geologic interpretation with raster products (e.g., slope, illumination, Earth visibility, Mini-RF backscatter, water stability) to test what makes an “operational” map most useful for all phases of exploration.

Key innovations include the use of qualitative confidence and preservation ratings; parallel mapping at two scales to assess how nested mapping affects process and results; early integration of slope and boulder data to assess hazards and terrain variability; and scale-dependent ejecta modeling to support regolith characterization. These efforts prioritize usability and transparency and reflect how mapping strategies meet exploration goals in a framework designed to evolve as priorities mature and shift.

LMAP has also revealed institutional challenges. NASA initiated LMAP to support science and exploration. However, integrating geologic map products into mission timelines and operations remains a work in progress as it requires streamlining government processes and including new commercial partners, beyond the more traditional geologic mapping that was completed to support Apollo planning and operations. At USGS, sustained infrastructure for planetary mapping is severely limited despite the agency’s rich legacy in producing science-, resource-, and hazard-driven maps. These challenges lie not only in producing deliverables, but in balancing them with the cross-disciplinary engagement needed to ensure timely, usable, and mission-relevant products. We raise a broader question: how do we support the people and tools needed to carry this work forward? LMAP is an experiment in process, product, and priority—and it invites input from anyone who believes geologic maps are essential tools to successful and efficient exploration.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-10790

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