Help track lunar LCROSS spacecraft for NASA

William Atkins
Saturday, 11 July 2009 19:01

Science - Space

NASA is asking all backyard astronomers to help track its Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) spacecraft, which is orbiting Earth in a big loop. Your reward in the end is to see it crash into a deep crater in the south pole of the Moon.


Officials at NASA state that this group of backyard astronomers “… is designed to facilitate amateur participation in the LCROSS mission, posting and sharing images that will be of scientific value before launch, during flight, and during impact.” [Google group: LCROSS_Observation]

LCROSS was launched into space, along with LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)), on June 18, 2009, via an Atlas 5 rocket. Its mission is to crash into the Moon.

In addition, the mission of the LRO is to provide a three-dimensional map of the lunar surface, look for possible landing sites for future unmanned and manned missions, and survey the lunar landscape.

It will also take images of Apollo equipment left on the Moon by the astronauts in the NASA Apollo program of the 1960s and 70s.

The July 9, 2009 NASA article “Moonship Photographed by Backyard Astronomers” states that: “On Oct. 9th, NASA plans to plunge LCROSS headfirst into a deep crater near the Moon's south pole. Researchers hope the debris it kicks up will reveal water and other minerals of use to future lunar explorers.”

Right now, while LCROSS circles overhead, NASA is inviting amateur astronomers to help track it.

Brian Day (NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California) states, “The more eyes the better. We've got to crash this spacecraft into the bottom of a pitch-black crater a quarter of a million miles away with pinpoint accuracy. Amateur astronomers [can help us] precisely determine the position of LCROSS in flight.”

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