[FPSPACE] FW: U Colorado: TO BUILD $6 MILLION LUNAR DUST DETECTOR TO ORBIT MOON IN 2012

[LARRY KLAES]

> Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2009 20:00:47 -0500> From: steve.maran at aas.org> To: steve.maran at aas.org> Subject: U Colorado: TO BUILD $6 MILLION LUNAR DUST DETECTOR TO ORBIT MOON IN 2012> > THE FOLLOWING RELEASE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, AT> BOULDER, AND IS FORWARDED FOR YOUR INFORMATION. (FORWARDING DOES NOT> IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY THE AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.) Steve Maran,> American Astronomical Society: steve.maran at aas.org, 1-202-328-2010> x116.> > Contact:> Mihaly Horanyi> 1-303-492-6903> Horanyi at colorado.edu> > Jim Scott> 1-303-492-3114> Jim.Scott at colorado.edu> > Jan. 9, 2009> > NASA SELECTS CU-BOULDER TO BUILD $6 MILLION> LUNAR DUST DETECTOR TO ORBIT MOON IN 2012> > The University of Colorado at Boulder has been awarded a $6 million> grant from NASA to build a high-tech lunar dust detector for a 2011> mission to orbit the moon and conduct science investigations of the> dusty lunar surface and its atmosphere.> > Known as the Lunar Dust Experiment, or LDEX, the instrument will be> designed and built at CU-Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and> Space Physics. The instrument will fly on the Lunar Atmosphere and> Dust Experiment Explorer mission, or LADEE, an orbiting satellite that> will assess the lunar atmosphere and the nature of dust lofted above> the moon's surface.> > The LASP instrument is expected to provide new information on the> physical characteristics of lunar dust, from its interactions with the> moon's atmosphere and the solar wind to astronaut safety issues, said> LASP Professor Mihaly Horanyi, principal investigator of LDEX. "We> are pleased to have been selected for this exciting mission, and look> forward to launch," said Horanyi, also a professor in the physics> department.> > LADEE will launch in 2011 -- before NASA's moon exploration activities> accelerate in the coming decade -- and will gather information on> lunar surface conditions and environmental influences on lunar dust.> The mission should help shape future manned exploration in the lunar> environment, according to NASA.> > LDEX will be the first instrument to be tested and calibrated for> flight by the Colorado Center for Lunar Dust and Atmospheric Studies,> or CCLDAS, one of seven initial members of NASA's Lunar Science> Institute announced today. Scientists at the CU-Boulder headquartered> CCLDAS, which will be funded by a four-year, $5 million NASA grant,> will conduct science and astronaut safety investigations on the lunar> surface, said Horanyi, also principal investigator on the CCLDAS> proposal.> > "I find it especially exciting that we not only received funding to> build a dust accelerator facility and perform science experiments as> part of CCLDAS award, we also will be able to use this facility to> test and calibrate space instruments," said Horanyi. "Our own lunar> dust detector will be our first customer."> > LADEE is a cooperative effort with NASA Ames Research Center at> Moffett Field, Calif., Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.,> and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The spacecraft> cost is expected to be about $80 million.> --------------------------------------------------------------------------> If you do not wish to receive press releases that are forwarded to the> news media by the American Astronomical Society, just reply> accordingly to any incoming press release, or write to> steve.maran at aas.org. Requests for referrals to experts on astronomy> and space exploration should be sent to the same address. Steve Maran,> AAS Press Officer: steve.maran at aas.org, telephone 1-202-328-2010 x116.
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