NASA's GRAIL lunar mission ends with two crashed satellites

tech hive ^ | Dec 18, 2012 11:25 AM | Kevin Lee

[BenLurkin]

After skimming the moon’s surface for nearly a year, NASA’s two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) drones ended their mission on Monday by crashing into a mountain located at the Moon’s north pole. While it might sound like an accident, the crash was actually a planned maneuver.

The decision to crash the two spacecraft, Ebb and Flow, was made after NASA's scientists evaluated that the drones could no longer function with low fuel levels. More importantly, if the probes were to be left in low orbit, there was the possibility that they could damage one of the previous Apollo or Soviet lunar lander sites.

The impact, however, marks a successful end to the GRAIL project to survey the Moon’s surface with target sites pointed out by middle-school students. Over the last year, the two drones have captured over 115,000 photos of the lunar surface using a MoonKAM camera.

Not only did the satellites produce a new library of images, they also observed how the topography changed the Moon's gravity field whenever they passed over features such as mountains and craters.

Up to their last dying engine burns, the probes also helped engineers validate fuel consumption computer models that will help them plan out future space missions. NASA has named the site where Ebb and Flow impacted the moon in honor of the late astronaut Sally K. Ride, America's first woman in space as well as the leading proponent of the MoonKAM program.

[Squawk 8888]

there was the possibility that they could damage one of the previous Apollo or Soviet lunar lander sites.

I really think we should sell Richard Branson on the idea of building a resort on the Moon, with guided tours of the Apollo sites.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Some of them made it. First successful moon landing in 1966.

Soviet lunar probe history.

[Squawk 8888]

Or even better than a resort on the Moon- how about a retirement home? In 0.16G many seniors who need walkers or wheelchairs would be able to hop, skip and jump wherever they want to go.

[a fool in paradise]

[mwilli20]

The Soviets landed unmanned probes on the moon.

Yes, yes, that's fine! What's out of here is to think that a crashing satellite has a chance of hitting any of those installations. I'll run some numbers when I have some time but it's at least a billion to 1.