Comments on: Ebb And Flow Crash Into Sally Ride!

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 12:46:25 +0000

NASA also monitored the impact plumes with the LRO spacecraft’s UV detector (LAMP) and wanted the GRAIL tanks depleted of volatiles to see the plume

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:37:27 +0000

From the press release: “Fifty minutes prior to impact, the spacecraft fired their engines until the propellant was depleted. The maneuver was designed to determine precisely the amount of fuel remaining in the tanks. This will help NASA engineers validate computer models to improve predictions of fuel needs for future missions. “

By: Eric Lund

Eric Lund — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:40:06 +0000

There is at least one current mission, and presumably will be future missions, with the goal of mapping out surface volatiles on the Moon. Fuel, whether hydrazine or H2/O2, would contaminate those measurements.

By: Artor

Artor — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:22:48 +0000

Why are they concerned about onboard fuel when crashing into the moon? It’s not like there’s danger of a wildfire, or poisoning a watershed. Are they using hydrazine, or H2/O2?