The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and LCROSS probe were launched to the moon tonight at 00:32 a.m. on the same Delta 5 rocket, although they will use completely different methods to study the lunar environment
The Lunar Rover (LRO) spacecraft and the LCROSS sensing spacecraft were launched this evening (00:32) to the moon on the same Delta 5 model rocket, although they will use completely different methods to explore the lunar environment. LRO will be positioned in orbit around the moon, and will point its series of instruments at its face in order to conduct in-depth studies. The spacecraft will also be used to locate potential landing sites for astronauts. .LCROSS on the other hand, will guide an empty upper stage of a rocket to crash into a shadowed crater with the aim of ejecting water in this collision to discover its existence. LCROSS itself will crash on the lunar surface during its exploration.
One of the instruments aboard the LRO will be a radiometer developed at JPL called the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment, which will perform the first global survey of the lunar surface temperature from a circular orbit at an altitude of about 50 kilometers.
Around 23:40 p.m., about half an hour before the intended launch, NASA announced that the Atlas rocket and its third stage of the Centaur model had been fired. Small amounts will be added during the countdown to maintain the appropriate fuel level for launch.
No malfunctions occurred during the countdown, but mission managers continued to monitor storm clouds approaching Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Those who have visited Florida are used to such short storms almost every day during the summer.
Today's launch windows were planned for 00:12, 00:22 and 00:32 (Israel time), which allows enough time to launch the spacecraft after the storm has passed and NASA decided to be on the safe side to go with the later option and indeed the weather was already clear.
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undercover:
No.
The spaceship is constantly moving away.
In fact now she is already near the moon.
I have a question.. I see something above my house that looks like a star but it looks much closer and it has been there for 3 days straight, could it be this spaceship?