The LROC Team
The LROC team has been conducting high-resolution mapping of the Moon for over 16 years as part of LRO's primary and extended missions. The team captures, stores, processes, and analyzes lunar surface imagery and adds new data products to NASA's Planetary Data System monthly.
This ongoing work supports future missions by identifying safe landing sites and advances our understanding of lunar geology and resources.
Team Composition
Our team brings together scientists, engineers, and researchers from various disciplines:
Disciplines
Planetary Geology
Geography & Cartography
Engineering
Information Technology
Aerospace Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Business Operations
Our team members represent leading institutions across academia, government, and industry:
Academic Institutions
Government & Industry
Team Members
Scientists
| Name | Affiliation | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Hannes Bernhardt | University of Maryland | Co-Investigator |
| Jaclyn Clark | University of Maryland | Co-Investigator |
| Brett Denevi | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab | Co-Investigator |
| Bruce Hapke | University of Pittsburgh | Co-Investigator |
| B. Ray Hawke | University of Hawaii at Manoa, Institute of Geophysics and Planetology | Co-Investigator |
| Harald Hiesinger | Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut for Planetologie | Co-Investigator |
| Dave Humm | SpicaCon | Co-Investigator |
| Brad Jolliff | Washington University | Co-Investigator |
| Samuel Lawrence | NASA Johnson Space Center | Co-Investigator |
| Prasun Mahanti | Intuitive Machines | Co-Investigator |
| Michael Malin | Malin Space Science Systems | Co-Investigator |
| Alfred S. McEwen | University of Arizona | Co-Investigator |
| Heather Meyer | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab | Co-Investigator |
| Jeff Plescia | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab | Co-Investigator |
| Mark Robinson | Intuitive Machines | Principal Investigator |
| Hiroyuki Sato | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency | Co-Investigator |
| Emerson Speyerer | Intuitive Machines | Co-Investigator |
| Julie Stopar | Lunar and Planetary Institute | Deputy Principal Investigator |
| Peter Thomas | Cornell University | Co-Investigator |
| Elizabeth Turtle | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab | Co-Investigator |
| Carolyn van der Bogert | Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut for Planetologie | Co-Investigator |
| Tom Watters | National Air and Space Museum, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies | Co-Investigator |
Science Operations Center Staff
| Name | Affiliation | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Barnett | Intuitive Machines | Senior Database Administrator |
| Morgan Billingsley | Intuitive Machines | Fullstack Software Developer |
| Ken Bowley | Intuitive Machines | Senior Systems Administrator |
| Aaron Boyd | Intuitive Machines | Data/Research Scientist |
| Holly Brown | Intuitive Machines | Data/Research Scientist |
| Natalie Carr | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Winston Carter | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Nicolas Clocksin | Intuitive Machines | Fullstack Software Developer |
| Will Collins | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Victoria DeFazio | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Nick Estes | Intuitive Machines | Science Operations Center Manager |
| Barbara Giuri | Intuitive Machines | Data/Research Scientist |
| Seth Grieser | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Merlyn Heck | Intuitive Machines | Operations Lead |
| Megan Henriksen | Intuitive Machines | Project Manager |
| Richard Hoppe | Intuitive Machines | Fullstack Software Developer |
| Madeleine Manheim | Intuitive Machines | Data/Research Scientist |
| Cordell Michaud | Intuitive Machines | Research Software Engineer |
| Christopher Miconi | Intuitive Machines | Senior Systems Administrator |
| Steven Nystrom | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| John Pierangelo | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Torie Roseborough | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Mateja Rothlisberger | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Jeffrey Sanders | Intuitive Machines | Jr. IT Administrator |
| Gavin Sondrup | Intuitive Machines | Multimedia Specialist |
| Alexander Sonke | Arizona State University | Graduate Student |
| Kathryn Szymborski | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Terry Trafton | Intuitive Machines | Data Analyst |
| Thomas Tyburczy | Intuitive Machines | Satellite Operations Engineer |
| Robert Wagner | Intuitive Machines | Data/Research Scientist |
Instrument Development Team
| Name | Affiliation | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Brylow | Malin Space Science Systems | Deputy Project Manager |
| Michael Caplinger | Malin Space Science Systems | Senior Systems Engineer |
| Tony Ghaemi | Malin Space Science Systems | Senior Optical Engineer |
| Jeff Lewis | Malin Space Science Systems | Senior Development Engineer |
| Diana Michna | Malin Space Science Systems | Business Manager |
| Paul Otjens | Malin Space Science Systems | Senior Electronics Engineer |
| Ann Pasquini | Malin Space Science Systems | Assistant Business Manager |
| Michael Ravine | Malin Space Science Systems | Advanced Projects Manager |
| Jacob Schaffner | Malin Space Science Systems | Electronics Engineer |
| Karl Schaffner | Malin Space Science Systems | Mechanical Engineer |
| Jason Yelvington | Malin Space Science Systems | Special Projects Engineering Intern |
Interns
| Name | Affiliation | Title |
|---|---|---|
| William Chou | Intuitive Machines | Data Analytics Intern |
| Ezra Cisneros | Intuitive Machines | Research Aide Intern |
| Sadie Cullings | Intuitive Machines | Data Analytics Intern |
| Devansh Gupta | Intuitive Machines | Software Development Intern |
| Albert Kim | Intuitive Machines | Data Analytics Intern |
| Halle Kolar | Intuitive Machines | Office Aide Intern |
| James Rivera | Intuitive Machines | Data Analytics Intern |
Alumni Impact
LROC team members have made significant contributions to lunar science during our over 16 years mission, and have gone on to distinguished positions across the space and technology sectors. Here are a few examples of where our alumni have landed:
Space Industry
- Systems Engineer Orbital ATK
- Guidance, Navigation and Control Engineer Orbital ATK
- Systems Engineer Boeing
- Avionics Engineer Masten Space Systems
- Mission Operations Engineer Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Administrative Liaison Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Technology Sector
- Software Engineer Microsoft
- Software Engineer Apple
- Software Engineer Shutterstock
- Software Developer Zscaler Inc.
- Software Developer IntraEdge
- Intrusion Analyst Google
Government & Research
- Range Operations Vandenburg AFB Air Force
- Cyberspace Operations Officer US Air Force
- IT Phoenix City Government
- GIS Mapper/Drafter Southwest Gas Corporation
- Research Technician LROC SOC
- Research Analyst LROC SOC