Terrain visualization and data discovery using lunar high-resolution laser altimeter data sets

NASA's latest space mission on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has produced some of the largest publicly accessible Laser Altimeter data products available to date. The spatial density of these new data products are up to four times greater than laser altimeter data produced from previous space missions. However, partially due to the size, volume and density of the new altimeter data, current software tools provide only limited or no support for real-time cartographical projects, slope analysis, distance measurements or other analyses method critical to physiographic study of planetary systems. We discuss a novel software tool called mVTK, which facilitates the physiographic analysis of the Lunar surface using the newly acquired high resolution altimeter data products. Some of the features provided by m VTK include realtime cartographic projects, slope analysis, distance measurement and visual data discovery.