NASA retargets Moon-attack probe NASA has shifted the planned impact point of its Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) Moon-attack probe, based on new data which indicate its first choice might not contain as much hydrogen as the water-sniffing mission was looking for. The agency recently announced that LCROSS would impact on the lunar …
"However, it now says that "based on continued evaluation of all available data and consultation/input from members of the LCROSS Science Team and the scientific community, including impact experts, ground and space based observers, and observations from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Lunar Prospector (LP), Chandrayaan-1 and JAXA's Kaguya spacecraft", the suicide mission will now end in a 98-kilometre-wide crater called Cabeus."
aka - "we think we're going to miss but getting the excuses in early"
They spend squillions of dollars on this and come back with the statement that the view "might be blocked". And if it is have they wasted all those dollars? Who the hell is project managing this? Whem you've spent more money than an African country's national debt on a one chance mission there should be no "might" about it.
1. we did do it, its just we weren't where you were looking and were at the other side anyway, but honest, we did do it. Hey guy, look over there...
2. very sorry , but we were out a bit, so no pics of the original lunar landing site. But it is there, we SWEAR !!! Hey guy, look over there...
3. we cant get this quite right, but we did mange to put a few men there 40 years ago without any issues. Must have got lucky... Hey guy, look over there...
smashing
Actually it's around $80M for LCROSS component of the Mission - something like half the cost of an F22. This is really space exploration on the cheap and you're complaining about the view. So they changed the target when they got a better view. Armstrong was doing that all the way down. You have that problem when you're exploring. It's why it's worth doing.
Actually, this was one of the cheapest spacecraft they've made, like, ever.
It was off the shelf parts. The actual impactor is just a bog standard upper stage.
After that, the view of the ejecta most certainly will not be blocked. It will rise hiiiiiigh over the surface and everyone will see it. The actual bang will be observed by the LCROSS chase-craft.
Instant win.
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