Two NASA spacecraft crash into the moon
NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission came to an end as planned yesterday when its two spacecraft de-orbited and crashed into the surface of the moon.
The first of the orbiters, Ebb, hit a predetermined mountain near the lunar north pole, with its twin, Flow, hitting nearby 30 seconds later.
Both were travelling at a speed of 1.7 kilometres per second.
The two craft were launched in September of 2011.
Following a successful mission mapping the gravity of the moon, the washing machine-sized spacecraft were nearly out of fuel.
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J Tabone
Dec 19th 2012, 08:27
Remember that the moon is declared "international" - yet a Russian millionaire claimed land surrounding the Russian satellite that landed on the moon in the early 70s - simply because the Russian satellite was "parked" there. Who says the Americans aren't going to do the same? Remember that Antarctica was declared untouchable except for scientists yet it is "carved" up between different nations!
will loxam
Dec 18th 2012, 15:59
Not content with filling space up with junk now they have started on the moon, unbelievable!
Dianne Dimech
Dec 18th 2012, 18:08
Totally agree with you.
Mark Zammit
Dec 19th 2012, 13:42
What an ignorant notion. So in your opinion, the past 50+ years of science and space exploration was of no importance, and is just a bunch of junk floating in space? Do you have any idea how the space age has affected our everyday life? Don't you realise where we would be if it were not for the countless discoveries in science and medicine, achieved from "filling space up with junk" ?
Please choose the reason of your report below: