An artist's impression of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft entering lunar orbit.
Moon mission enters lunar orbit
27 Jun 2009
After a four and a half day journey from the Earth, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has successfully entered orbit around the Moon.
During transit to the Moon, engineers performed a mid-course correction to get the spacecraft in the proper position to reach its lunar destination. Since the Moon is always moving, the spacecraft shot for a target point ahead of the Moon. When close to the Moon, LRO used its rocket motor to slow down until the gravity of the Moon caught the spacecraft into lunar orbit.
"Lunar orbit insertion is a crucial milestone for the mission," said Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Centre. "The LRO mission cannot begin until the Moon captures us. Once we enter the Moon's orbit, we can begin to build-up the dataset needed to understand in greater detail the lunar topography, features and resources. We are so proud to be a part of this exciting mission and NASA's planned return to the Moon."
< An artist's impression of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft
The spacecraft will next move into its commissioning phase orbit. During the commissioning phase each of its seven instruments will be checked out and brought online. The commissioning phase will end approximately 60 days after launch, when LRO will use its engines to transition to its primary mission orbit.
For its primary mission, LRO will orbit above the Moon at about 50 kilometres for one year. The spacecraft's instruments will help scientists compile high resolution, three-dimensional maps of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths.
The satellite will explore the Moon's deepest craters, examining permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will return more data about the Moon than any previous mission.
More information: LRO mission
Adapted from information issued by NASA.
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