U.S. lunar probes lift off on mission to scout water, landing sites

WASHINGTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- NASA's two new lunar probes, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), lifted off Thursday on a landmark mission to scout water sources and landing sites in anticipation of leading astronauts back to the moon in 2020.

In this photo provided by NASA, an Atlas V rocket blasts off the launch pad headed to the moon,  carrying a pair of science probes that will scout out potential landing spots for astronauts, Thursday afternoon, June 18, 2009 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The two probes, a powerful lunar orbiter and a smaller spacecraft that will hunt for water ice by crashing into the moon, were launched on an Atlas V rocket at about 5:32 p.m. EDT (2132 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

According to NASA TV, LRO and LCROSS separated about 45 minutes after launch.

"All's well so far. We just accomplished LRO separation, which was obviously a great milestone," said NASA launch director Chuck Dovale.

LRO is a robotic mission aimed at creating a comprehensive atlas of the moon's features, finding possible landing sites, identifying available resources, characterizing the radiation environment by using a special plastic designed to mimic human tissue, and testing new technology.

It is expected to reach the moon on Tuesday morning at 5:43 a.m.EDT (0943 GMT), then will spend a year studying the moon to aid future astronaut missions before NASA turns it over to a science team for a potential years-long extension.

"The robotic mission will give us information we need to make informed decisions about any future human presence on the moon," NASA official Todd May told reporters earlier this week.

LCROSS will search for water ice on the moon by sending Atlas V's spent upper-stage Centaur rocket to impact part of a polar crater in permanent shadows. It will fly into the plume of dust left by the impact and measure the properties before also colliding with the lunar surface.

LCROSS is following in the footsteps of many spacecraft that have intentionally hit the moon. Earlier this month, Japan's Kaguya lunar probe ended its year-long mission with a moon crash. China's Chang'e-1 probe did the same earlier this year.