Nasa smashes spacecraft into the moon
Nasa smashes spacecraft into the moon
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Friday, 09, Oct 2009 04:45
By Richard James.
Nasa has crashed an unmanned spacecraft into the moon today in an attempt to uncover the presence of water-ice.
The first rocket, weighing some 2,000kg, smashed into the lunar surface kicking up huge amounts of debris.
A second spacecraft then analysed the fragments kicked up, before crashing as well.
Scientists have continually questioned whether water-ice exists on the moon claiming it could prove crucial for future human exploration.
The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) was launched into space back in June at a price of $79 million (£49 million).
The two spacecrafts separated early on Friday morning, with the first rocket striking the moon's south pole at around 12:31 BST.
Nasa claims both stages hit a permanently shadowed crater just four minutes apart.