Astrophysics (Index)About

Lunar Prospector

(Discovery 3)
(NASA 1998 lunar orbiter)

Lunar Prospector was a 1998-1999 NASA spacecraft that orbited the Moon, after which it was deliberately crashed into the Moon's surface. The aim was to map the surface, gaining knowledge regarding the surface composition, which included looking for lunar water (in the form of ice). Instruments:

The latter was actually merely the recording and analysis of the Doppler shifts of the spacecraft's microwave communication to Earth. The impact was intended to allow Earth-based observation of any plume produced, with the hope of detecting water vapor, but none was detected.


(spacecraft,Moon,NASA,past)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Prospector
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunarprosp.html
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-prospector/in-depth/
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/prospector/
https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/lunar_prospector.htm

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