NASA Firing LCROSS Missile into the Moon

An extraordinary event in space research is scheduled to take place in the early morning hours of October 9^th as NASA's LCROSS mission comes to its dramatic conclusion. NASA is planning to send one half of the LCROSS space craft, a high-velocity, heavy-impact vehicle called Centaur, into the Cabeus crater on the surface of the moon's South Pole. The resulting impact is expected to send up a shower of moon dust that is visible from the Earth with telescopes that are 10-12 inches and larger. Furthermore, NASA will fly the second half of the LCROSS space craft directly through that dust plume to analyze the material ejected from deep within the moon.

The Purpose of the NASA LCROSS Impact Experiment

The second space craft will analyze the debris and relay data back to Earth before it crashes into the lunar surface itself, sending up another cloud of moon dust. The goal of the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission is to determine once and for all whether water exists on the moon and if it does, just how much water there might be locked under the surface of the polar regions. Other detailed information about the moon's composition will also be collected by the LCROSS satellite's on board spectrometers. Spectrometers are able to determine which elements are present by analyzing their spectral signatures. Large spikes representing hydrogen and oxygen in the LCROSS dust plumes would indicate the presence of water and allow NASA to calculate the amount of water contained in the region of the impact.

Viewing the LCROSS Lunar Impact Dust Plumes

The impact will take place after sunrise in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States and the ambient morning light will preclude any direct observation from that region. Astronomy and space science hobbyists West of the Mississippi River, says NASA, should be able to see the dust plumes from the impacts for themselves if they have a telescope with a 10-12 inch or larger diameter. NASA is inviting anyone with the capability of taking pictures of the lunar surface with their telescope to post pictures of the lunar South Pole before, during and after the impacts at the NASA LCROSS - Citizen Science Portal. A number of user photos are already available for viewing. For those located in an area where the impact will not be visible or without their own high powered telescope, the entire event will be streamed live online by NASA with coverage beginning at 6:30 AM EDT on October 9^th.

NASA Community Building around LCROSS Impact

NASA's outreach program for the LCROSS mission is really remarkable for the quality and depth of the information available. The agency is making a real attempt to engage the imagination and curiosity of the American public with this mission. NASA is encouraging LCROSS lunar impact viewing parties throughout the United States. A complete listing of viewing events is available at NASA's LCROSS Public Events page. Many of them are being held at planetariums and science centers that are open to the public.

Multimedia LCROSS Resources for the Public

Additionally, the NASA website has some amazing multimedia resources available, including a 3D rendering of the LCROSS spacecraft with a web interface that allows users to twist, turn, and zoom the image to see every detail of the two part LCROSS craft. Video of the launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's Saturn V rocket which carried the LCROSS spacecraft into orbit with an artist's video rendering of the LCROSS lunar flyby is also available for public viewing.

Where will the LCROSS impact take place?

The impact is targeted for the Cabeus crater, which NASA scientist believe holds the best chance for significant sources of water on the moon. The discovery of water on Earth's nearest satellite would open up new possibilities for permanent lunar outposts and for the use of the moon as a base for exploration of the outer reaches of the solar system and beyond. Water, using electricity from solar panels, can be broken into its constituent components, oxygen and hydrogen. Both are important components of rocket fuel and can be used to power fuels cells. Oxygen, of course, is also required for life support systems.

How Could Water Appear on the Moon?

It is a certainty that over the course of the eons in which the moon has been in existence, it has been struck by uncounted numbers of comets. Comets are largely composed of water ice. Impacts would have left much of the water contained by the comet trapped by the moon's gravity. Over millions of years, this could have accounted for a considerable amount of frozen water locked underneath the otherwise barren surface of the moon. On the other hand, the moon's low gravity and lack of any appreciable atmosphere would tend to cause any liquid water or surface ice to boil away into space.

NASA LCROSS Streaming Video Coverage

Streaming Coverage Schedule: (Times are stated as EDT)

October 8^th

1 p.m. - LCROSS Impact-1 News Conference - AMES (Public and Media Channels)

October 9^th

6:30 a.m. - LCROSS Live Impact Coverage - AMES (Public and Media Channels)
10 a.m. - LCROSS Post-Impact News Conference - AMES (Public and Media Channels)

Sources:

NASA LRO-LCROSS Press Kit

LCROSS Mission Overview. NASA retrieved from www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/overview/index.html on October 2nd, 2009