ARC-2006-ACD06-0232-004

LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) Mission Art IMAGES COURTESY OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN, WILLIAM FURLONG, ARTIST This NASA Ames spacecraft is a small 'secondary payload' spacecraft that will travel with Lunar Reconnaissance Obriter (LRO) satellite to the moon on the same rocket, the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) to be launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida in a search for water ice on the moon's south polar region. As the spacecraft approaches the moon's south pole, the upper stge will separate, and then will impact a crater in the south pole area. A plume from the upper stage crash will develope as the Shepherding Spacecraft heads in toward the moon. The Shepherding Spacecrat will fly through the plume, and instruments on the spacecraft wil analyze the cloud to look for signs of water and other compounds. Additional space and Earth-based instruments will study the 2.2-millon-pound (1000-metric-ton) plume. 'The LCROSS mission will help us to determine if there is water hidden in the permanently dark craters on the moon's south pole.' said Marvin( (Chris) Christensen, Robotic Lunar Exploration Program (RLEP) manager, and Deputy Director of NASA Ames.