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NASA Probes to Reach Moon Over New Year's

Twin 'grails' will study moon's gravity field

By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 28, 2011 5:57 PM CST

(Newser) – Two NASA probes are poised to reach the moon over the New Year's holiday. After a journey of more than three months, the $496 million Grail probes—short for Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory—will soon be in place, reports AP. Grail A is set to arrive on New Year's Eve and Grail B the following day.

The twin probes will not land on the moon's surface but rather fly 34 miles above it. One of the quandaries scientists hope to answer is why the moon's far side is more hilly than its Earthward side. "We actually know more about Mars ... than we do about our own moon," says the mission's chief scientist.

This undated artist rendering provided by NASA shows the twin Grail spacecraft mapping the lunar gravity field.
This undated artist rendering provided by NASA shows the twin Grail spacecraft mapping the lunar gravity field.   (AP Photo/NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 45 comments
AstroDude
Dec 29, 2011 11:07 AM CST
I'll chime in. This is a nifty experiment, and a highly complicated one at that. You see, our beautiful world conceals much of its past (tectonics, vegetation and oceans mask much history), but the lunar surface holds an accessible record of the solar system's past.  BUT Gravitational measurements provide information of subsurface structural geology that will enable scientists to accurately reconstruct lunar history and thermal evolution, which is very exciting to those of us at LROC that are stoked on planetary construction. This is a very exciting time for explorers!
BrushMan
Dec 29, 2011 10:03 AM CST
The Denver Post reports that there have been 100 missions to the moon and that 12 men have walked upon it. We have hundreds of pounds of lunar soil and rocks. Maybe there is something more beneficial we could use this money for.
BCS
Dec 29, 2011 2:16 AM CST
tidal lock is a bitch.

 
NASA • Mars • science • space travel • moon • space mission • Grail Probes

 
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