GRAIL spacecraft crash into the Moon
Posted: Tue, Dec 18, 2012, 7:27 AM ET (1227 GMT)
NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft crashed into a mountain on the Moon Monday afternoon, completing their nearly year-long mission there as planned. The two spacecraft, dubbed "Ebb" and "Flow", crashed into a mountain near the crater Goldschmidt in the Moon's north polar regions. Ebb crashed into the mountain at 5:28:51 pm EST (2228:51 GMT) and Flow crashed nearby 30 seconds later. NASA announced the impact sites would be named after Sally Ride, the first American woman in space who passed away earlier this year; she led the development of cameras on the spacecraft used exclusively for educational purposes. The two spacecraft entered orbit around the Moon at the beginning of the year to map the Moon's gravity field, work that has created the most precise gravity map to date of the body and, in turn, giving scientists insights into its interior structure.
NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft crashed into a mountain on the Moon Monday afternoon, completing their nearly year-long mission there as planned. The two spacecraft, dubbed "Ebb" and "Flow", crashed into a mountain near the crater Goldschmidt in the Moon's north polar regions. Ebb crashed into the mountain at 5:28:51 pm EST (2228:51 GMT) and Flow crashed nearby 30 seconds later. NASA announced the impact sites would be named after Sally Ride, the first American woman in space who passed away earlier this year; she led the development of cameras on the spacecraft used exclusively for educational purposes. The two spacecraft entered orbit around the Moon at the beginning of the year to map the Moon's gravity field, work that has created the most precise gravity map to date of the body and, in turn, giving scientists insights into its interior structure.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, September 16
The US says it has launched ‘space control weapons’. It plays into the hands of its enemies
The Conversation — 12:53 am ET (0453 GMT) The Pentagon must prepare for battles around the moon: Joint Chiefs chair
Defense One — 12:52 am ET (0452 GMT) US says for 1st time it now has weapons in space. What we know (so far)
USA Today — 12:52 am ET (0452 GMT) New US Space Weapon Adds to Arsenal to Counter Russia, China
Bloomberg News — 12:52 am ET (0452 GMT) NRO deputy director highlights joint integration at AFA
NRO — 12:52 am ET (0452 GMT) |
