NASA “Drills” for Water On the Moon

NASA plans on searching for water on the moon using a rather unusual method. The mission will be called LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite). A Sheparding craft is to be deployed from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite (which will be launched in October 2008) which will deploy an impacting spacecraft to hit the moon 2 different times. Each time billows of the moon’s surface will create plumes that the Sheparding Spacecraft will fly through and from which it will collect samples for analysis. This will help determine if there is water ice on the surface of the moon.

NASA plans on sending up several similar missions like this between 2008 and 2016 to learn more about the moon’s atmosphere and surface in preparation for astronauts’ return.

NASA plans on searching for water on the moon using a rather unusual method. The mission will be called LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite). A Sheparding craft is to be deployed from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite (which will be launched in October 2008) which will deploy an impacting spacecraft to hit the moon 2 different times. Each time billows of the moon’s surface will create plumes that the Sheparding Spacecraft will fly through and from which it will collect samples for analysis. This will help determine if there is water ice on the surface of the moon.

NASA plans on sending up several similar missions like this between 2008 and 2016 to learn more about the moon’s atmosphere and surface in preparation for astronauts’ return.