LCROSS impact crater selected
Posted: Sat, Sep 12, 2009, 9:03 AM ET (1303 GMT)
Scientists announced Friday the crater that a NASA spacecraft and rocket stage will crash into next month in a search for water ice. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) and its Centaur upper stage are targeted to impact the Cabeus A crater in the south polar region of the Moon at about 7:30 am EDT (1130 GMT) on October 9. The Centaur upper stage will impact first; LCROSS will analyze the plume of material created by the impact before itself crashing into the surface. The impacts will also be observed by telescopes on the ground, and could be visible to amateur astronomers. LCROSS was launched in June as a secondary payload on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. The spacecraft did suffer a technical problem last month that caused it to expend much of its propellant, but mission officials said that the spacecraft is now healthy and has enough propellant left to carry out the mission.
Scientists announced Friday the crater that a NASA spacecraft and rocket stage will crash into next month in a search for water ice. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) and its Centaur upper stage are targeted to impact the Cabeus A crater in the south polar region of the Moon at about 7:30 am EDT (1130 GMT) on October 9. The Centaur upper stage will impact first; LCROSS will analyze the plume of material created by the impact before itself crashing into the surface. The impacts will also be observed by telescopes on the ground, and could be visible to amateur astronomers. LCROSS was launched in June as a secondary payload on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. The spacecraft did suffer a technical problem last month that caused it to expend much of its propellant, but mission officials said that the spacecraft is now healthy and has enough propellant left to carry out the mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, March 19
Firefly Aerospace Selected for the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy
National Aeronautic Association — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Satellite development begins for EUMETSAT Polar System – Sterna
EUMETSAT — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Minotaur IV rocket motor stacking at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-8
US Space Force — 5:20 am ET (0920 GMT) MDA Space awarded contract with Canadian Department of National Defence to deliver Ground-Based Optical Capability for Space Surveillance
MDA — 5:18 am ET (0918 GMT) Rocket Lab wins record contract with US Department of War
Radio New Zealand — 5:17 am ET (0917 GMT) |
