An Overview of The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Mission An ESMD Mission to Investigate Lunar Polar Hydrogen

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6250 Moon (1221)

Scientific paper

The primary objective of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) is to confirm the presence of water ice at the Moon's South Pole. This mission uses a 2000 kg kinetic impactor with more than 200 times the energy of the Lunar Prospector (LP) impact to excavate more than 250 metric tons of lunar regolith. The resulting ejecta cloud will be observed from a number of Lunar-orbital and Earth-based assets. The impact is achieved by steering the launch vehicle's spent Earth Departure Upper Stage (EDUS) into a permanently shadowed polar region. The EDUS is guided to its target by a Shepherding Spacecraft (S-S/C), which after release of the EDUS, flies toward the impact plume, sending real-time data and characterizing the morphology, evolution and composition of the plume with a suite of cameras and spectrometers. The S-S/C then becomes a 700kg impactor itself, to provide a second opportunity to study the nature of the Lunar Regolith. LCROSS provides a critical ground-truth for Lunar Prospector and LRO neutron and radar maps, making it possible to assess the total lunar water inventory, Furthermore, LCROSS will provide significant insight into the processes that delivered the hydrogen to the lunar poles in the first place. This talk will overview the rational and goals for the mission, impact expectations and the mission design.

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