unnamed telescopes 20 cm reflector (×2) Founded 1995 | Established 1995 (1995) Altitude 2,146 m | |
Closed September 2003 (2003-09) Website Lunar Calibration - ROLO Organizations | ||
The Robotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO) was an astronomical observatory funded by NASA and located at the United States Geological Survey Flagstaff Science Campus atop McMillan Mesa in Flagstaff, Arizona. Its purpose was to enable the Moon to be used as a radiance calibration source for Earth-orbiting remote-sensing spacecraft. The program ceased observations in September 2003, but the facility is maintained for calibration and instrument characterization purposes. It consists of two 20 cm (7.9 in) Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes attached to an equatorial mount made by DFM Engineering. One telescope is fitted with a sensor optimized for visible and near-infrared (VNIR) wavelengths, while the other is tuned to short-wavelength infrared (SWIR). The VNIR camera began operations in 1995 and the SWIR camera in 1997.