You can map some Artemis II Moon images in QGIS, but not every astronaut photograph has usable lunar coordinates. Start by checking the selected image’s PDS label for control points and a valid footprint; then combine it with independently sourced lunar context layers, keeping each layer’s coordinate system and meaning clear. An image that merely looks aligned with a crater is not, by itself, evidence of scientific geolocation.
Choose the right image source
NASA’s Artemis II lunar science archive became available through the Planetary Data System (PDS). NASA’s October 2026 release described more than 800 GB of data, including more than 11,000 full-resolution lunar images and videos, 8.5 hours of crew science audio, and crew-annotated imagery. The PDS delivery includes handheld and Orion camera imagery, video, audio and transcripts, annotations, environmental logger measurements, and mission documents.
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For browsing and selecting candidate scenes, NASA’s Johnson Space Center Earth Observations Lab (EOL) collection offers a simpler route. Its default images are converted lossy JPEGs; NASA says original camera raw files can be requested from individual image pages while processing continues. If your task depends on science metadata, use the PDS product and its label rather than assuming a browse image carries the same information as a raw or processed product.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →| Source or product | Useful for | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| NASA EOL Moon image collection | Browsing scenes and choosing images to investigate | Default images are lossy JPEGs; original raw files may be requested from image pages. |
| PDS Artemis II image products and labels | Working with archived products and checking science metadata | Product level, file format, and spatial metadata vary; inspect the specific product. |
| Separate lunar measurement products | Adding elevation, roughness, rock-abundance, or brightness context | Each layer has its own source, units, coverage, coordinate system, and resolution. |
Check whether the image can be located on the Moon
The NASA Artemis II Lunar Science Data User Guide says processed PDS4 labels include control points and corner coordinates for a subset of Nikon Moon imagery. Inspect the label belonging to the exact image you intend to map. Look for its control points, corner coordinates, footprint, and coordinate-system details. A named crater, a published composite, or the fact that a scene shows the lunar surface does not establish that the individual image has a valid footprint.
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The guide gives two different coverage figures that should not be conflated. It says control points and corner coordinates are included for 3,687 Nikon Moon images. Separately, a figure reports 3,101 of 10,339 Nikon images—about 30%—could be georeferenced in that footprint analysis. These figures describe different sets and outcomes; neither says that every image in the larger metadata group has a complete, reliable footprint.
- Control points associate image pixels with known lunar positions and may support a transformation even when a complete footprint is unavailable.
- Corner coordinates or a footprint describe image coverage, but can be missing, incomplete, or invalid for some views.
- A usable geotransform is not guaranteed just because spatial information appears in a label. Check what the particular product actually contains.
Build a QGIS project without confusing CRS assignment and reprojection
- Keep the product and its label together. Record the source filename and product identifier. The image and its PDS label may need to be handled separately.
- Load a GIS-readable image. If QGIS does not read the product format directly, use an appropriate conversion. Preserve the original product and label. The label’s coordinates may also need conversion into a GIS-readable control-point, point, or footprint layer; do not assume every PDS4 product or label opens automatically in QGIS.
- Inspect each layer’s CRS and units. Use a project CRS appropriate to the Moon data and keep the coordinate body and convention consistent between the image and context layers. The NASA guide describes its image geolocation coordinates as the Moon IAU 2000 system on a sphere with a 1,737.4 km semi-major-axis radius and zero flattening.
- Distinguish assigning a CRS from transforming coordinates. QGIS’s documentation explains that assigning a layer CRS is for correcting missing or incorrect CRS information; it does not transform the data. Reprojection requires a coordinate transformation, for example through a reprojection operation or export. On-the-fly project rendering can display layers together, but does not repair incorrect source metadata.
- Check the overlay at multiple landmarks. Compare its placement at more than one recognizable feature. If the product documentation or visible residual mismatch warrants it, describe the result as approximate rather than presenting it as a precise survey map.
The QGIS documentation consulted for these concepts is version 3.40, which is marked end of life. Basic CRS and renderer principles still explain the distinction, but labels and interface details can differ in a newer QGIS release.
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Add lunar context and measurements as separate layers
NASA’s Orientale example shows how crew photography can be interpreted alongside independent lunar data: an LRO camera image, LOLA laser-altimeter topography and roughness, Diviner-derived rock abundance, and LOLA-derived surface brightness. These are not interchangeable “Moon map” layers. Preserve the provenance and meaning of each one, and use the relevant PDS or LRO data product as the source layer. The Orientale report explains the sources and visual combination, but it is not a ready-to-load QGIS project or a complete download recipe for those rasters.
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| Layer type | What it represents in the Orientale example | How to treat it in the project |
|---|---|---|
| Image context | LRO camera imagery | Keep the camera source and product identity with the layer. |
| Topography and roughness | LOLA laser-altimeter measurements or products | Keep the variables distinct and retain the units and product documentation. |
| Rock abundance | Estimate derived from LRO Diviner thermal measurements | Label it as a derived estimate, not a direct camera observation. |
| Surface brightness | LOLA-derived surface-brightness data | Identify the source and variable in the layer name and legend. |
Before stacking any measurement layer, check its own coordinate system, units, spatial resolution, and coverage. Those details are specific to each product; they should not be inferred from NASA’s rendered example or copied from the astronaut image’s metadata.
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Style the layers according to what they contain
- Color image with multiple bands: use multiband color rendering when the file actually contains the relevant color bands.
- Monochrome image: use a single-band gray renderer for visual context.
- Continuous measurement surface: use a single-band gray or continuous pseudocolor renderer for a variable such as elevation or roughness. Show the variable name and units in the legend.
- Overlaid image: adjust raster opacity when needed to reveal underlying context, while keeping the image’s source and limits clear.
A color ramp can make a scalar surface easier to read, but it does not change what the values mean. Avoid presenting a derived estimate as a direct measurement or giving a layer a unit that its source product does not specify.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Handle scenes without a defensible footprint
If the product has no valid footprint or adequate control points, keep it in a linked image catalog rather than forcing it onto the map. Georeferencing may be reasonable when reliable ground control points and a suitable transformation can be justified. Preserve the original image and document the control points and method. Stretching a scene by eye until it appears to fit a basemap is a visual illustration, not a defensible scientific alignment.
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Why some Artemis II image overlays are only approximate
The NASA user guide describes a workflow that matches crew images to illumination-adjusted lunar basemap tiles, then derives pixel-to-location control points. The method fits an affine transform. The initial tie points are found on resized 518-by-518-pixel images and scaled to full dimensions, which limits the precision available from those matches.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAn affine fit is limited when applied to a strongly curved lunar view. It may align parts of a scene well while other areas—especially corners or views near the limb—deviate. Non-lunar corners can be undefined, and full-disk views can yield invalid footprint coordinates. In some cases the footprint is omitted even though control points remain available for another transformation method. The guide’s image counts describe metadata coverage and a footprint-analysis result, not positional accuracy in meters or pixels.
Low-angle illumination can make terrain especially legible: NASA’s Artemis II account notes that the terminator’s long shadows help reveal topography. That is a useful reason to compare crew observations with elevation data, not proof that a particular photograph has been georeferenced.
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