NASA LCROSS Preps for October 9 Impact

The NASA's The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite [LCROSS] spacecraft is expected to impact the surface of the moon at the south pole on Friday, October 9, 2009, 7:30 AM EDT. Here is a video of the LCROSS mission profile.

The impact experiment is designed to search for water compounds at the south pole of the lunar surface. The final impact crater point is expected to be determined next month. Northrop Grumman created this video about the LCROSS mission profile. LCROSS Flight Director Paul Tompkins gave a mission video update last week; and, you may read his BLOG. You may also Twitter LCROSS as it 'tweets.'

The ESA's lunar probe SMART-1, the Chinese Chang'e-1 and Japanese KAGUYA have each entered into controlled-crashes on the moon to seek data about the lunar surface. India's Chandrayaan-1 may enter into a controlled crash of the moon next year. The Lunar Science Institute is sharing the lunar data on an international basis in an effort to better understand lunar geology and where water may exist in moon's craters.

More robotic spacecraft missions to the moon are planned over the coming few years. The next missions being planned are NASA's [Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory] GRAIL and [Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer] in 2011 LANDEE in 2012. China may also advance the Chang´e 2 to launch in 2011.