LCROSS reached periselene,
its closest approach, at 10:30:33 UT, with the spacecraft passing
1,988 miles (3200 km) from the Moon. The flyby resulted in
a gravity assist from the Moon which put LCROSS into its cruise
Lunar Gravity Assist Lunar Return Orbit (LGALRO).
The swingby
also provided mission scientists with an opportunity for instrument
calibration and the return of images from the far side of the
Moon.
Lunar
CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)
The Mission Objectives of the Lunar
Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) include confirming
the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed
crater at the Moon’s South Pole. The identification of
water is very important to the future of human activities on
the Moon. LCROSS will excavate the permanently dark floor of
one of the Moon’s polar craters with two heavy impactors
in 2009 to test the theory that ancient ice lies buried there.
The impact will eject material from the crater’s surface
to create a plume that specialized instruments will be able to
analyze for the presence of water (ice and vapor), hydrocarbons
and hydrated materials.
LCROSS will also provide technologies and modular, reconfigurable subsystems that can be used to support future mission architectures.
Ames
Research Center (ARC) is managing the mission, conducting mission operations, and has developed the payload instruments, while Northrop Grumman designed and built the spacecraft for this innovative mission. Ames mission scientists will spearhead the data analysis.
This is a fast-paced, low-cost, mission that will leverage some
existing NASA systems, Northrop-Grumman spacecraft expertise,
and Ames’ Lunar Prospector
experience.
Scheduled for launch no earlier than June 17, 2009, LCROSS will
travel to the Moon as a co-manifested payload aboard the launch
vehicle for the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). LRO is designed to map the
lunar surface and characterize landing sites for future missions.
Why
LCROSS?
Just like on Earth, water is a crucial resource on the Moon. It
will not be practical to transport to space the amount of water
needed for human and exploration needs. It is critical to find
natural resources, such as water, on the Moon. The Lunar Crater
Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission will begin
the search for water, leveraging the information we learned from
the Clementine and Lunar
Prospector missions.
By going to the Moon for extended periods of time before other bodies in our solar system, astronauts
will search for resources and learn how to work safely in a harsh
environment—stepping stones to future exploration. The Moon
also offers many clues about the time when the planets were formed.
“Many years ago the great British
explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest,
was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, ’Because
it was there.’
Well, space is there,
and we’re going to climb it, and the Moon and the
planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace
are there.”
President John F. Kennedy
Address at the Rice University on the Space Effort
September 12, 1962
LCROSS and LRO launched
on Thursday, June 18 @ 5:32pm Eastern Time. Projected Impact
at the lunar South Pole: Oct 9, 11:30 UT (7:30 EDT, 4:30 PDT)
June 12 - The LRO-LCROSS are stacked and encapsulated
on top of the Atlas Booster. The mission has passed its Flight
Readiness Review and is set for Launch on June 18. Take a look
at images of what was happening at the cape in
preparation for launch.
May 15 - the combined LRO-LCROSS stack is being
encapsulated in the payload fairing.
May 12 - LRO has been stacked onto LCROSS at Astrotech.
April 30 - The Atlas V first stage and the Centaur
upper stage have been stacked in the Vertical Integration Facility
(VIF) at Launch Complex 41.
Watch Lift
off Here!
