SMART-1 enters lunar orbit
Posted: Tue, Nov 16, 2004, 7:04 AM ET (1204 GMT)
SMART-1, Europe's first lunar spacecraft, has entered orbit around the Moon, ESA announced early Tuesday The spacecraft passed within 5,000 km of the lunar surface late Monday, about 12 hours after the spacecraft restarted its ion engine to nudge the spacecraft into a lunar orbit. The ion engine will run continuously for several days, then for shorter periods thereafter to maneuver the spacecraft into an elliptical polar orbit that passes between 300 and 3,000 km from the lunar surface; that orbit should be achieved by mid-January. SMART-1, an acronym for Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology, is primarily an experimental spacecraft designed to demonstrate ion propulsion and other technologies. The spacecraft also carries instruments to study the lunar surface, including looking for traces of water ice hidden in permanently-shadowed craters at the lunar south pole. SMART-1 was launched as a secondary payload on an Ariane 5 in September 2003, and has been slowly spiraling out to the Moon using its ion engine.
SMART-1, Europe's first lunar spacecraft, has entered orbit around the Moon, ESA announced early Tuesday The spacecraft passed within 5,000 km of the lunar surface late Monday, about 12 hours after the spacecraft restarted its ion engine to nudge the spacecraft into a lunar orbit. The ion engine will run continuously for several days, then for shorter periods thereafter to maneuver the spacecraft into an elliptical polar orbit that passes between 300 and 3,000 km from the lunar surface; that orbit should be achieved by mid-January. SMART-1, an acronym for Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology, is primarily an experimental spacecraft designed to demonstrate ion propulsion and other technologies. The spacecraft also carries instruments to study the lunar surface, including looking for traces of water ice hidden in permanently-shadowed craters at the lunar south pole. SMART-1 was launched as a secondary payload on an Ariane 5 in September 2003, and has been slowly spiraling out to the Moon using its ion engine.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, February 9
Calling ET: Your chance to send a message to alien life
The Daily Telegraph — 7:42 am ET (1242 GMT) CU-equipped craft to launch on Wednesday
Denver Post — 7:41 am ET (1241 GMT) Crew inspects shuttle after launch, heads for space station
CNN — 7:40 am ET (1240 GMT) Endeavour Inspection Shows No Launch Damage
Central Florida News 13 — 7:40 am ET (1240 GMT) What's next? No rush. 'We've got plenty of time'
Huntsville Times — 7:40 am ET (1240 GMT) |