OTD in Space – April 18: LADEE Crashes into the Moon
On April 18, 2014, NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, also known as LADEE, ended its mission by crashing into the moon. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com]
LADEE had spent seven months orbiting the moon and studying its exosphere. The exosphere is a thin layer of gas that's kind of like an atmosphere, but the molecules are more spread out and are definitely not breathable. LADEE conducted a lunar dust experiment in which it collected and analyzed the dust particles floating around in the exosphere. This experiment was intended to help NASA solve the mystery behind the faint glow Apollo astronauts reported seeing on the lunar horizon. LADEE discovered neon in the exosphere, but it wasn't enough to account for the glow, and the mystery remains unsolved. When LADEE ran out of fuel, NASA intentionally crashed it into into the lunar surface. It was traveling 3,600 miles per hour during the crash and created a crater almost 10 feet wide.
LADEE had spent seven months orbiting the moon and studying its exosphere. The exosphere is a thin layer of gas that's kind of like an atmosphere, but the molecules are more spread out and are definitely not breathable. LADEE conducted a lunar dust experiment in which it collected and analyzed the dust particles floating around in the exosphere. This experiment was intended to help NASA solve the mystery behind the faint glow Apollo astronauts reported seeing on the lunar horizon. LADEE discovered neon in the exosphere, but it wasn't enough to account for the glow, and the mystery remains unsolved. When LADEE ran out of fuel, NASA intentionally crashed it into into the lunar surface. It was traveling 3,600 miles per hour during the crash and created a crater almost 10 feet wide.
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TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:04On April 18th, 2014, NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer,
00:08also known as LADEE, ended its mission by crashing into the moon.
00:12LADEE had spent seven months orbiting the moon and studying its exosphere.
00:16The exosphere is a thin layer of gas that's kind of like an atmosphere,
00:20but the molecules are more spread out and are definitely not breathable.
00:24LADEE conducted a lunar dust experiment in which it collected and analyzed dust particles
00:28floating around in the exosphere. This experiment was intended to help
00:32NASA solve the mystery behind the faint glow Apollo astronauts reported seeing on the lunar horizon.
00:36LADEE discovered neon in the exosphere,
00:40but it wasn't enough to account for the glow, and the mystery remains unsolved.
00:44When LADEE ran out of fuel, NASA intentionally crashed it into the lunar surface.
00:48It was traveling 3,600 miles per hour during the crash,
00:52and created a crater almost 10 feet wide.
00:56That's all for now on this day in space.
01:00Music.