Today’s launch of two lunar probes by NASA promises to pave the way for the return of man to the moon: a long-overdue development.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and a crater observation probe will gather data that may help NASA scientists and mission specialists to select a future landing point for a new manned mission. The data will also be used to select possible areas for long-term moon habitats, perhaps setting up the equivalent of the International Space Station on the moon.
The poor crater observation probe will be smashing into the moon itself in the hope that the ‘debris plume’ will reveal evidence of ancient water ice. This is important, as buried frozen water could be vital to the long-term prospects of any manned lunar base.
The launch of the Atlas rocket containing the probes had been delayed several times due to the regular Florida thunderstorms.
While it’s great to see the first steps being taken in man’s return to the moon, I can’t help feeling they’d better hurry up if I hope to see man set foot on the lunar surface again in my life time. It’s been 40 years since Neil Armstrong arrived there and we’ve managed to squander that opportunity quite comprehensively.
BBC Report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8107197.stm
NASA LRO Page: http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Image Credit: NASA
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