Dont get excited with title !! They are just preparing to bomb a part of moon only to find water.
Here is the full Story...
After Chandrayan’s discovery of water on moon, NASA is getting ready to gauge the exact quantity of water on moon.
For this operation, a Centaur spacecraft launched from the orbiting LCROSS craft is scheduled to make a direct vertical impact on the moon on October 9.
This two tonne, used non-explosive rocket will bomb the surface of the moon. This is expected to create a huge plume of dust, which will be analysed for water by different instruments including the Thermoteknix camera, which will follow the Centaur down four minutes later.
The debris plumes are expected to be visible from certain Earth and space-based telescopes. As we report the rocket is progressing towards moon and can be followed at – http://twitter.com/Lcross_Nasa
A live NASA TV Broadcast is planned for the LCROSS impacts starting at 6:15 a.m. EDT/3:15 a.m. PDT, Oct. 9, on NASA TV and www.nasa.gov/ntv.
The 1.5 hour broadcast includes:
- Live footage from spacecraft camera
- Real-time telemetry based animation
- Views of LCROSS Mission and Science Operations
- Broadcast commentary with expert guests
- Prepared video segments
- Views of the public impact viewing event at NASA Ames
- Possible live footage from the University of Hawaii, 88-inch telescope on Mauna Kea.
The live LCROSS Post-Impact News Conference will be 10 a.m. EDT/7 a.m. PDT on NASA TV and www.nasa.gov/ntv.
According to NASA within one hour, scientists will know if the lunar dirt contains any water or ice.
The Centaur impact will release materials from the lunar surface, which will be analysed for the presence of hydrated minerals and will be a major step in seeing if there is water on the moon.
Discovering water on the moon is important for supporting prolonged manned visits to the moon. (With inputs from Yahoo News)
Infact, this is the first time NASA hitting moon.Apollo 14’s Saturn IV-B booster was intentionally impacted into the moon on Feb. 4, 1971, causing vibrations that scientists used to learn about the moon’s interior structure.
A distinctive crater about 35 meters (115 feet) in diameter was formed when the Apollo 14 Saturn IVB (upper stage) was intentionally impacted into the moon. The energy of the impact created small tremors that were measured by the seismometer placed on the Moon by Apollo 12 astronauts in 1969.
Full Story about Apollo 14 here – follow the link
Source: www.nasa.gov
good to know it.