[FPSPACE] FW: NASA Taps Astronomy Community to Help Search for Lunar Water

[LARRY KLAES]

>From: NASA News <nasanews at mail.arc.nasa.gov>
>To: ames-releases at lists.arc.nasa.gov
>Subject: NASA Taps Astronomy Community to Help Search for Lunar Water
>Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:20:37 -0800
>
>Jonas Dino 		Feb. 25, 2008
>NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
>650-604-5612/650-207-3280
>jonas.dino at nasa.gov
>
>MEDIA ADVISORY: 08-15AR
>
>NASA TAPS ASTRONOMY COMMUNITY TO HELP SEARCH FOR LUNAR WATER
>
>MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. - News media are invited to attend a briefing from 12 
>p.m. to 12:30 noon PST Friday, Feb. 29 in Building 943 at NASA's Ames 
>Research Center about the Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing Satellite, 
>known as LCROSS, and the mission's participatory emphasis.
>
>The briefing is part of the LCROSS Astronomer Workshop, which focuses on 
>collaboration among NASA experts and professional astronomers on techniques 
>for observing the debris plume that will be created when LCROSS hits the 
>surface of the moon in early 2009. The objective of the mission is to 
>detect possible water on the moon. Future mission activities will engage 
>the amateur astronomy community, students and the public using ground-based 
>and space-based telescopes.
>
>LCROSS is scheduled to launch with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, known 
>as LRO, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in late 2008. 
>After launch, the LCROSS shepherding spacecraft and the Atlas V's Centaur 
>upper stage rocket will fly by the moon and enter an elongated Earth orbit 
>to position themselves for a rapid descent into a permanently shadowed 
>crater near the moon's south pole.
>
>On final approach, the instrument-laden spacecraft and the upper stage will 
>separate. They will hit the lunar surface about four minutes apart. The 
>spacecraft will fly through the Centaur debris plume and collect data 
>before its own impact. The LCROSS impacts are expected to be visible from 
>Earth using 10-to-12 inch and larger telescopes.
>
>Media wishing to attend the briefing should contact Jonas Dino at 
>650-604-5612 by 12 noon PST on Thursday, Feb. 28.
>
>The LCROSS Astronomer Workshop is co-sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary 
>Institute, the LCROSS project office, NASA Ames and the NASA Science 
>Mission and Exploration Science Mission Directorates at NASA Headquarters, 
>Washington.
>
>For more information about the Astronomer Workshop, visit:
>
>http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lcross2008/
>
>For more information about the Lunar CRater Observing and Sensing 
>Satellite, visit:
>
>http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov
>
>For information about NASA programs, visit:
>
>http://www.nasa.gov
>
>-end-
>
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>