NASA's Air-LUSI Mission: Precise Lunar Measurements Enhance Earth Observation

NASA's Airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance (air-LUSI) mission achieved highly accurate measurements of moonlight during night flights in March 2025. The mission utilized NASA's ER-2 science aircraft to observe the Moon at different phases, measuring sunlight reflected by the lunar surface. This data will serve as a calibration tool for Earth-observing sensors.

Flying at nearly 70,000 feet in the stratosphere, the ER-2 allowed air-LUSI to collect data with minimal atmospheric interference. The air-LUSI project is a collaboration between NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and McMaster University in Ontario.

The HAAMR telescope mount, developed by the McMaster team, was crucial for the air-LUSI system. According to NASA program scientist Kelsey Bisson, air-LUSI data can advance our ability to understand the Earth and our weather, and they provide a new way to calibrate satellites that can result in cost savings. The mission marks a significant step in improving Earth observation technology.