Infrared thermal emission spectroscopy is evaluated for its possible application to compositional mapping of the Moon's surface from lunar orbit. Principles of the mid‐IR (∼4–25 μm) technique, previous lunar ground‐based observations, and laboratory studies of Moon samples are reviewed and summarized. A lunar thermal emission spectrometer experiment is described, patterned after a similar instrument on the Mars Observer spacecraft. Thermal emission spectrometry from a polar‐orbiting lunar spacecraft could provide a valuable mapping tool to aid in exploration for lunar resources and help provide understanding of the origin of the Moon and history of lunar surface processes.
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Nash et al. (1993) studied this question.
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