NASA Revisits The Moon In High Definition
By James Grahame
The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing is less than two weeks away. In anticipation of this milestone, here's a look at NASA's shiny new Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The LRO launched on June 19, 2009 - NASA's first lunar mission this century.
The spacecraft will spend a year in a low polar orbit approximately 50 km above the lunar surface. Its primary mission is to compile high-resolution 3D maps that could help to identify landing sites for future surface exploration. NASA will also be on the lookout for life-sustaining water and potentially lethal radiation.
Video: LRO/LCROSS Atlas 5 Launch
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: NASA's First Step Back To The Moon
