Fly me to the moon..

The postponed Space Shuttle Mission STS-127 may have been further delayed until July, but yesterday the more conventional Atlas V rocket successfully launched Nasa’s Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter [LRO] and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite [LCROSS]. LRO is expected to reach the Moon on Tuesday at 5.43am [EDT]. LCROSS and the Centaur rocket will stay attached for a further 4 months when the empty upper stage will be guided on a collision course with a permanently shaded crater at the Moon’s pole on Oct 9. And here’s the stunning launch video.

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