ArcGIS Pro and NASA: Mapping the Moon with planetary-scale GIS

With the successful return of the Artemis II crew after their historic flyby of the far side of the Moon on April 10, 2026, lunar exploration has entered a new phase. Preparation for sustained human presence on the Moon is accelerating. 

What is less widely known is that planetary exploration is no longer limited to space agencies. 

Today, GIS professionals can explore lunar terrain with the same analytical precision used for infrastructure planning, environmental modelling, and terrain analysis on Earth. All of this is possible directly inside ArcGIS Pro. 

ArcGIS Pro is evolving beyond terrestrial mapping into a powerful platform for planetary spatial analysis. 

Through collaboration with organizations such as NASA and the broader scientific community, ArcGIS supports workflows that help researchers analyse lunar terrain, evaluate landing constraints, and identify strategic locations for future exploration infrastructure. 

In practice, this means lunar datasets can now be handled with the same rigor as any Earth-based geospatial project. 

On Earth, most GIS workflows rely on WGS84. On the Moon, ArcGIS Pro supports lunar coordinate systems designed specifically for planetary mapping. 

This allows GIS professionals to: 

• map impact craters and landing zones with geodetic precision  
• analyse terrain constraints for rover navigation  
• integrate elevation models from planetary missions  
• support scientific interpretation of lunar surface morphology  

ArcGIS Pro treats lunar geography as real operational GIS data, not just imagery. 

Energy availability is one of the biggest constraints for future lunar missions. 

Using the Solar Radiation tool in ArcGIS Pro, analysts can simulate illumination conditions on Digital Lunar Surface Models. 

ArcGIS integrates high-precision planetary positioning data through NASA’s SPICE navigation system. This enables accurate modelling of the relative positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun over time and turns solar exposure into a measurable planning parameter. Planetary GIS is becoming part of everyday geospatial analysis. 

Whether you work in planetary geology, spatial analytics, academic research, or simply want to explore lunar datasets yourself, ArcGIS Pro already provides the tools to begin. 

Explore the Moon directly in 3D here or below:

Want to explore more:

• Introducing the Solar Radiation Tool (Esri) 
• Work with celestial coordinate systems in ArcGIS Pro