A Validation Pipeline for Lunar Digital Elevation Models

We present a set of open-source tools developed to verify the accuracy of lunar digital elevation models (DEMs), which are critical for terrain-relative navigation systems used in autonomous extraterrestrial landings. Given the challenges of validating maps without groundbased references, our approach leverages map agreement as a proxy for accuracy. Agreement between DEMs suggests accurate representation of lunar surface features, while disagreement signals potential inaccuracies. We examine key sources of error in lunar DEMs, describe the algorithms used for inter-map comparison, and provide illustrative results from tests conducted on various lunar DEMs. These tools, available at github.com/nasa-jpl/landmark_tools, aim to support future missions by improving confidence in navigation maps.