NASA’s New Moon Mission
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. NASA is embarking on a new Moon mission. So all those people who thought NASA’s best days were behind it, why, they thought wrong. But to be realistic and honest here, this is an unmanned mission. That’s what happens when space shuttles have been retired and the Russians are troubleshooting rocket problems. And please, this isn’t a thinly veiled mission to search for Decepticons.
Introducing the GRAIL Mission
GRAIL is an ambitious multi-stage effort to study the moon and determine its origins. If you’re wondering when it goes live, why, it already has. GRAIL launched on its moon mission at Cape Canaveral on Thursday. GRAIL is composed of two satellites (Grail-A and Grail-B) loaded with enough sensors to gather data on the moon’s gravitational field.
The satellites are scheduled to reach the moon’s orbit by the holidays. Both of them go live on New Year’s Day and by 2012 the pair will be working nonstop. The mission ends June next year and there’s no return flight–both satellites will crash on the lunar surface and die there. The odd twist is before executing their final protocol the GRAIL satellites will transmit images back to Earth–for schoolchildren.
The Importance of GRAIL
If you’re wondering what GRAIL stands for, it’s Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory. The mission aims to map the Moon’s gravitational field in unprecedented detail. This data will help scientists understand the Moon’s internal structure and composition, shedding light on its formation and evolution. By studying the Moon’s gravitational anomalies, researchers can infer the distribution of mass within the Moon, which in turn provides clues about its geological history.
One of the key objectives of the GRAIL mission is to determine the thickness of the Moon’s crust and the structure of its mantle. This information is crucial for understanding the processes that shaped the Moon’s surface and its geological activity over billions of years. Additionally, the data collected by GRAIL will help scientists refine their models of the Moon’s thermal evolution, providing insights into how the Moon’s interior has cooled and solidified over time.
The GRAIL mission also has a significant educational component. The images and data collected by the satellites will be made available to schoolchildren and educators, inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. By engaging students in the mission, NASA hopes to foster a greater interest in space exploration and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.
The GRAIL mission represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the Moon and its history. By mapping the Moon’s gravitational field in unprecedented detail, GRAIL will provide valuable data that will help scientists unravel the mysteries of our nearest celestial neighbor. And by engaging students and educators in the mission, NASA is inspiring the next generation of explorers and innovators.
Source Popsci
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