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NASA delays Moon probe launch

Posted by EU Times on Sep 9th, 2011 // 1 Comment

ebrahimpour20110909181116700 — NASA's GRAIL-A lunar probe is lifted from its workstand and across the clean room towards the spacecraft adapter ring (L) where GRAIL-B is already secured at the Astrotech Space Operation in Titusville, Florida.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has delayed the launch of its moon probes due to a technical issue with the satellites’ launch vehicle.

The agency’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, were supposed to leave the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on the unmanned Delta 2 rocket on Friday.

“The postponement will allow the launch team additional time to review the data,” NASA said in a statement.

The twin GRAIL probes will map the moon’s gravity so that scientists can learn what lies beneath the lunar crust and whether the moon’s core is solid, liquid or some combination of the two, Reuters reported.

NASA engineers decided to postpone the launch so that they can review technical data after the Delta 2 rocket was drained of fuel following Thursday’s scrub.

Astronomers expect the probe to reveal how the moon formed and evolved by detecting changes in the tug of lunar gravity as small as one micron.

Scientists hope spotting the moon’s gravity lumps help them find out what is inside the Earth’s natural satellite and the process through which other rocky planets like Earth, Venus, Mars and Mercury — formed.

The $496 million mission is managed by lead scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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One Response to " NASA delays Moon probe launch "

They Lived! says:

10/09/2011 at 16:43

Finally a chance to see the magnificent Christ on the dark side of the moon!

Please wait...

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