BenEskew.com Just another web developer's personal weblog.

LCROSS: First Steps to Colonizing Space

Ever since man has discovered its place within the Universe we've been energized by the thoughts of colonizing other bodies other than the Earth. When we landed on the Moon we were at the pinnacle of our goal which was to place a man on the Moon. After which we followed a non-existent approach to space exploration by simply only having interests in launching satellites for quite some time.

It's about time we start seriously thinking about colonizing space, yes? Enter, LCROSS: Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite.

(Above) Artists rendering of LCROSS moments before lunar impact.

 
In April 2006, NASA selected the LCROSS proposal for a low-cost, fast-track companion mission to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The main LCROSS mission objective is to confirm the presence or absence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater near the lunar south pole.

LCROSS launched with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on June 18, 2009. After launch, the LCROSS shepherding spacecraft and the Atlas V's Centaur upper stage rocket executed a fly-by of the moon on June 23 and entered an elongated Earth orbit to position LCROSS on a correct trajectory to impact the lunar south pole on October 9, 2009. On final approach, the shepherding spacecraft and Centaur will separate. Both spacecrafts will then impact and do their jobs.

Finding water ice on the moon will be crucial for the beginnings of colonizing...don't think I really needed to explain that but yea.

I'll be posting news data about this mission and others so stay tuned.

For more information about the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite click here.