First image from LRO

NASA recently launched and successfully injected into lunar orbit the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which will remain in a low polar orbit, about  31 miles above the moon for at least a year. LRO is designed to collect information about the surface and environment of the moon using an array of  seven on-board instruments.

Along for the ride on the same killer Atlas V rocket was LCROSS, or Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite, which has a slightly more awesome mission, which is to watch as 2300 pounds of metal (the spent engine form it’s launch vehicle) slams into a permenently shaded crater on the moon, and 4 minutes later, fly itself through the debris, and then crash itself into the moon as well. Currently, LCROSS is in orbit around the Earth, and is expected to slam into the moon sometime around October 9th.