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November Launch for Lunar Prospector
Washington DC - September 11, 1997 - 
Washington DC - September 11, 1997 - Launch of NASA's Lunar Prospector mission to explore the Moon has been rescheduled from late September to Nov. 23, 1997.
The schedule change occurred because additional time is needed to complete testing and preparation of the new Lockheed Martin LMLV2 launch vehicle. Lunar Prospector is the first competitively selected venture in NASA's Discovery Program series of "faster, better, cheaper" space science exploration missions. The entire mission, including the 660-pound spacecraft, its launch vehicle, science instruments and data operations and delivery, has been developed at a total cost of $62.8 million. Following its launch and cruise to the Moon, Lunar Prospector will orbit above the Moon's surface at an altitude of approximately 63 miles during a one-year mapping mission. Its five science instruments will provide detailed data on the composition and gravity field of the entire lunar landscape, of which more than 75 percent remains virtually unexplored. One key mission objective is to provide direct evidence of the presence or absence of ice in the shaded regions of the lunar poles. The Lunar Prospector mission is being managed by NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, through a prime contract with Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA. The launch vehicle is being provided by Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO, as part of the prime contract. The launch will occur from Launch Complex 46 on Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL. Initially scheduled for Sept. 24, 1997, the Lunar Prospector launch was delayed by the prior launch of NASA's Lewis spacecraft on an LMLV1 launch vehicle. That launch was accomplished successfully on Aug. 23, although later problems developed with the Lewis spacecraft itself. A successful launch of the LMLV1 was a necessary step before the first use of the LMLV2. The principal difference between the two versions of the LMLV launch vehicle is the addition of an extra Castor 120 solid rocket motor. Further information on Lunar Prospector, including still imagery, is available on the Internet at the following URL: CommunityEmail This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Space
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