LADEE in Orbit Around the Moon

Even as much of NASA remains in shutdown, the agency's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Explorer (LADEE) has moved into orbit around the Moon where it will busy itself collecting data on the structure and composition of the lunar atmosphere.

Launched Sept 6, the spacecraft is first tasked with completing a 40-day commissioning phase, after which point it will enter a 100-day science phase, measuring variations in chemical composition and gathering samples of atmospheric dust particles.

In addition to gaining insight into the Moon's atmosphere, researchers hope to learn more regarding the atmospheres surrounding space bodies such as Mercury, large asteroids and moons orbiting the outer planets.

"The moon's tenuous atmosphere may be more common in the solar system than we thought," John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for science in Washington, said in a statement prior to LADEE's launch.

According to Spaceflight Now, ground teams will begin commissioning the probe's science instruments once it reaches the 155-mile-high orbit Oct. 12.

Built using an Ames-developed Modular Common Spacecraft Bus architecture, LADEE's construction marks an important moment for the agency's efforts at reducing the cost of spacecraft development.

"This mission will put the common bus design to the test," Ames Director S. Pete Worden said. "This same common bus can be used on future missions to explore other destinations, including voyages to orbit and land on the moon, low-Earth orbit, and near-Earth objects."

The design places NASA one step closer to spacecraft developed from an assembly line, in contrast to the current model of custom designs, officials report.

"The LADEE mission demonstrates how it is possible to build a first class spacecraft at a reduced cost while using a more efficient manufacturing and assembly process," Butler Hine, LADEE project manager at Ames, said.

In all, the car-sized probe weighs 850 pounds when fully fueled.