Welcome to the 2026 GIS in Action Annual Conference hosted by the Oregon & SW Washington Chapter of the Geospatial Professional Network & Cascadia ASPRS.
This lightning talk introduces the Eskey System, a conceptual map that imagines how future explorers might navigate the lunar surface. Using GIS terrain analysis and lunar elevation data, low-slope routes were modeled between potential landing zones and key destinations such as craters and maria. These routes represent the easiest travel paths for rovers or astronauts, forming a network of potential lunar “roads.”
The system builds on the lunar quadrangle framework already used in planetary mapping. Quadrangles act like regional boundaries, while astronomical chart numbers function similarly to postal codes. Within this structure, routes are named to honor astronauts, missions, and themes from the history of space exploration.
The result is both an analytical and imaginative map—one that translates complex terrain data into familiar navigation concepts. By applying terrestrial wayfinding ideas to an extraterrestrial landscape, the project explores how GIS and cartography could help humans organize and navigate the Moon.
