Lunar Toolkit

Lunar Toolkit finds, downloads and processes lunar orbital imagery and turns it into DEMs.

It builds a searchable index of LROC images whose footprint search also works near the poles, finds ShadowCam, LROC and Kaguya products through the PDS Orbital Data Explorer, imports images into ISIS, and builds stereo and shape-from-shading (SfS) DEMs with the Ames Stereo Pipeline through configurable, reproducible pipelines. A desktop app browses the index, ODE, footprints and full-resolution images.

See our latest documentation for guides, the CLI reference and the API.

Install

pip install lunar-toolkit

Python 3.10+. DEM and image-processing commands also need ISIS and the Ames Stereo Pipeline (setup), or use the all-in-one Docker image (docker pull ghcr.io/alexmaietta/lunar-toolkit, see Install).

Quick start

lunar build-db edr # local LROC EDR index (~3.8 GB download)
lunar search --point -85.98 -0.26 --radius-km 2 --nac-only
lunar download M165993756LE --output-dir raw
lunar app # desktop app with search, footprints, images and settings

Commands

Every option is in the CLI reference.

Python

from lunar_toolkit import CumIndex, NacImage

ci = CumIndex()  # the local EDR index
df = ci.search(point=(-85.98, -0.26), radius_km=2, nac_only=True)
print(len(df), "NAC images within 2 km of Malapert")

img = NacImage(df.iloc[0]["PRODUCT_ID"])
print(img.product_id, img.start_time, img.pixel_scale, img.incidence_angle, img.sub_solar_azimuth)
print(img.edr_url)

More in the API reference.

Development

pip install -e ".[dev]"
pre-commit install
pytest

Acknowledgements

This toolkit only wraps and indexes the work of others.

Please cite the instruments, data sets and software below when you publish results made with them.

References

Software

• Beyer, R. A., Alexandrov, O., & McMichael, S. (2018). The Ames Stereo Pipeline: NASA's open source software for deriving and processing terrain data. Earth and Space Science, 5, 537-548. doi:10.1029/2018EA000409
• Alexandrov, O., & Beyer, R. A. (2018). Multiview shape-from-shading for planetary images. Earth and Space Science, 5, 652-666. doi:10.1029/2018EA000390
• Alexandrov, O., McMichael, S., Broxton, M., et al. (2024). NeoGeographyToolkit/StereoPipeline: ASP 3.4.0. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.12176190 (cite the version you use)
• Laura, J., Acosta, A., Addair, T., et al. (2023). Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) 7.2.0. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7644616 (cite the version you use)
• Acton, C. H. (1996). Ancillary data services of NASA's Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility. Planetary and Space Science, 44, 65-70. doi:10.1016/0032-0633(95)00107-7
• Rouault, E., Warmerdam, F., Schwehr, K., et al. (2025). GDAL. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.5884351
• Raasveldt, M., & Muhleisen, H. (2019). DuckDB: an embeddable analytical database. SIGMOD '19, 1981-1984. doi:10.1145/3299869.3320212

Instruments and missions

• Vondrak, R., Keller, J., Chin, G., & Garvin, J. (2010). Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): observations for lunar exploration and science. Space Science Reviews, 150, 7-22. doi:10.1007/s11214-010-9631-5
• Robinson, M. S., Brylow, S. M., Tschimmel, M., et al. (2010). Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) instrument overview. Space Science Reviews, 150, 81-124. doi:10.1007/s11214-010-9634-2
• Humm, D. C., Tschimmel, M., Brylow, S. M., et al. (2016). Flight calibration of the LROC Narrow Angle Camera. Space Science Reviews, 200, 431-473. doi:10.1007/s11214-015-0201-8
• Smith, D. E., Zuber, M. T., Jackson, G. B., et al. (2010). The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter investigation on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. Space Science Reviews, 150, 209-241. doi:10.1007/s11214-009-9512-y
• Robinson, M. S., Brylow, S. M., Caplinger, M. A., et al. (2023). ShadowCam instrument and investigation overview. Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences, 40(4), 149-171. doi:10.5140/JASS.2023.40.4.149
• Kato, M., Sasaki, S., Takizawa, Y., & the Kaguya project team (2010). The Kaguya mission overview. Space Science Reviews, 154, 3-19. doi:10.1007/s11214-010-9678-3
• Haruyama, J., Matsunaga, T., Ohtake, M., et al. (2008). Global lunar-surface mapping experiment using the Lunar Imager/Spectrometer on SELENE. Earth, Planets and Space, 60, 243-255. doi:10.1186/BF03352788
• Ohtake, M., Haruyama, J., Matsunaga, T., et al. (2008). Performance and scientific objectives of the SELENE (KAGUYA) Multiband Imager. Earth, Planets and Space, 60, 257-264. doi:10.1186/BF03352789

Topography

• Mazarico, E., Neumann, G. A., Smith, D. E., Zuber, M. T., & Torrence, M. H. (2011). Illumination conditions of the lunar polar regions using LOLA topography. Icarus, 211, 1066-1081. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.10.030 (PGDA site numbering)
• Barker, M. K., Mazarico, E., Neumann, G. A., et al. (2021). Improved LOLA elevation maps for south pole landing sites: error estimates and their impact on illumination conditions. Planetary and Space Science, 203, 105119. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2020.105119
• Henriksen, M. R., Manheim, M. R., Burns, K. N., et al. (2017). Extracting accurate and precise topography from LROC narrow angle camera stereo observations. Icarus, 283, 122-137. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.05.012
• Bertone, S., Barker, M., Mazarico, E., McKenna, T., & Petro, N. (2026). Enhanced topography models for selected lunar south pole regions with shape-from-shading. The Planetary Science Journal, 7, 118. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ae5b70. Data: doi:10.5281/zenodo.17954508

License

BSD 3-Clause. See LICENSE.