Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer

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The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is a space exploration mission planned for launch in 2011. To carry out the mission NASA will send a robotic spacecraft into orbit around the Moon, and use instruments aboard the spacecraft to study the Moon's atmosphere and dust in the Moon's vicinity. Instruments will include a dust counter and a neutral mass spectrometer. LADEE was announced during the presentation of NASA's FY09 budget in February 2008. It will be launched together with the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory payload.

[edit] Objectives

1. Determine the global density, composition, and time variability of the fragile lunar atmosphere before it is perturbed by further human activity;
2. Determine if the Apollo astronaut sightings of diffuse emission at 10s of km above the surface were Na glow or dust and;
3. Document the dust impactor environment (size-frequency) to help guide design engineering for the outpost and also future robotic missions.

[edit] References

v • d • e Robotic exploration of the Moon Programs Pioneer · Luna · Ranger · Zond · Surveyor · Lunar Orbiter · Lunokhod Orbiters Explorer 35 · Hiten · Clementine · Lunar Prospector · SMART-1 · SELENE · Chang'e 1 Future Chandrayaan I and II · Lunar Precursor Robotic Program · GRAIL · LADEE · Luna-Glob · LEO · Selene-2 · Google Lunar X Prize Flybys Luna 1  · Luna 3  · Nozomi  · Galileo  · Cassini/Huygens probe Canceled LUNAR-A · Lunar Observer See also Moon · Exploration · Colonization · Manned lunar spacecraft · List of artificial objects on the Moon Bold italics indicates active missions