November 13: There is definitely water on the Moon! Read more.
At a press conference today, researchers revealed preliminary data from NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, indicating that water exists in a permanently shadowed lunar crater. The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the Moon. Read Science@NASA report.

November 13, 2009: NASA BRIEFS PRELIMINARY PLUME FINDINGS FROM MOON MISSION
NASA will hold a news conference Friday, November 13 to talk about early science results from its successful moon impacting mission, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS. The satellite gained worldwide attention when it plunged into a crater near the moon's south pole on Oct. 9. The briefing from NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., will begin at 9 a.m. PST. It will be broadcast live on NASA Television: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

October 29, 2009: Mission Update -- SETI Seminar Series, dated October 21
Special panel on LCROSS with Tony Colaprete, Jennifer Heldmann, Diane Wooden (all of NASA Ames Research Center)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39kwTtI6cgU

October 27: Update and images of processed resuts!
Early processed results from the LCROSS shepherding spacecraft's instruments are summarized at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/LCROSS_impact.html and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/LCROSS_impact_images.html.
The science team is now preparing to present more at the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) meeting to be held in Houston, TX, Nov 15-19, 2009 and submit results for peer review.

October 26: Successful Partnerships Enable a Successful LCROSS Mission
The success of the LCROSS mission is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the LCROSS team. The team consists of a core group of scientists, engineers, managers and support personnel at NASA Ames Research Center, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program (LPRP), Explorations Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) and national and international partners. Read more.

October 16: NASA'S LCROSS Captures All Phases of Centaur Impact
NASA’s Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) was a smashing success, returning tantalizing data about the Centaur impact before the spacecraft itself impacted the surface of the moon. Read more.

October 10: Diviner Observes LCROSS Impact
The LRO Diviner instrument obtained infrared observations of the LCROSS impact. LRO flew by the LCROSS Centaur impact site 90 seconds after impact at a distance of ~80 km. Read more.

October 9: NASA Spacecraft Impacts Lunar Crater in Search for Water Ice
NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, created twin impacts on the moon's surface early Friday in a search for water ice. Scientists will analyze data from the spacecraft's instruments to assess whether water ice is present. Read more.

October 8: Centaur Separation:
At 6:50 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8 the LCROSS shepherding spacecraft successfully separated from the Centaur that has been attached to since early June 2009, when the LCROSS and LRO were stacked at Space Launch Complex 41, a few days before launch from Cape Canaveral. Read more.

October 7: Adjusted impact time:
As a result of the TCM (Trajectory Correction Maneuver) that occurred yesterday.
--Centaur impact time:  11:31:19 UTC, 7:31:19 EDT, 4:31:19 PDT
--Shepherding spacecraft impact time:  11:35:45 UTC, 7:35:45 EDT, 4:35:45.
See the updated countdown clock at: http://www.nasa.gov/lcross

NASA Ames LCROSS Impact Party
If you are local to NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, you are invited to join us for part or all of our celebration on October 8, 7:00 pm to October 9, 7:00 am. For schedule, tickets and more information see: http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/impactnight/index.htm

Impact Night Viewing Sites
Find a public event, near you on LCROSS Impact Night (October 8-9).
Mapped sites to date.

October 8 and/or 9: Are you having an Impact Night event?
The tools @ http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/impactkit/ can help you!
Please notify us @ arc-dl-ameswebteam@mail.nasa.gov if you are putting on an event so we can help disseminate the information to the public.

New Impact Page Available: to provide the casual backyard observer useful information for observing the LCROSS impact event, see: http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/observation/amateur.htm

Wednesday, October 7: Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii 7:00 pm
Free Talk -Back to the Moon- by Space Journalist, Author, and Historian Andy Chaikin will give a talk about going back to the Moon. See http://www.imiloahawaii.org/events.php

October 4 - 6: Aerospace in Hawaii Week
For more information: http://aerospacehawaii.info/?tag=moon

Friday, October 2: Griffiths Obseratory / All Space Considered 7:30-9:15 p.m.
Meet Andy Chaikin: Award-winning science journalist and space historian who has authored books and articles about space
exploration and astronomy for more than 25 years. Mr. Chaikin is best known as the author of A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts, widely regarded as the definitive account of the moon missions. Mr. Chaikin will be discussing LCROSS, including its crash to the lunar surface, scheduled for October 9th, 2009. See: http://www.griffithobs.org/exhibits/all_space.html

Wednesday, September 30: Frontiers of Flight Museum 7:00pm in the Hamilton Family Auditorium
The Frontiers of Flight Museum presents space journalist and author Andrew Chaikin speaking on the combined Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar CRater and Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. See http://www.flightmuseum.com/ and http://www.flightmuseum.com/docs/fofm_chaikin.pdf

Sunday, September 27: The Exploratorium 2-4 pm PDT
Take a trip to our nearest neighbor in space with renowned science journalist and space historian Andrew Chaikin. Relive the achievements of Apollo lunar astronauts and learn about the ambitious LCROSS mission, which will send a rocket crashing into the moon’s permanently shadowed regions to kick up huge plumes of debris in the hopes of uncovering deposits of ice. In addition, Exploratorium educators will give an entertaining and interactive overview of moon science.
http://www.bayareascience.org/calendar/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=840

Saturday, September 26: Chabot Space & Science Center: 3:00-4:30 pm PDT
Author, speaker, and space journalist Andrew Chaikin joins Chabot visitors for a night of moon conversation and exploration. Using the detailed program Google Moon, which he helped to develop, Chaikin takes the visitor on a guided tour of the moon’s surface. Chaikin will also discuss the recent LCROSS mission and his extensive knowledge of the Apollo missions.
http://www.bayareascience.org/calendar/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=882

Wednesday, September 23: Jen Heldmann is giving a talk on the Moon & LCROSS on September 23 for the LPI MyMoon program: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/mymoon/

Wednesday, September 23: Luna Philosophie Presents -- 6-8 pm PDT
Dr. Kim Ennico will speak on Hitch-hiking to the Moon: LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) Model, a novel space mission and approach. See archive @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/20233218/LCROSS-talk-by-Dr-Kim-Ennico

Date: September 22, 2009
New Update from Flight Director, Paul Tompkins! -- see: http://wiki.nasa.gov/cm/blog/lcrossfdblog/posts/post_1253594067301.html

Monday, September 21: NASA Headquarters: 10 am PDT
Tiffany Nail explains how to use Planetarium DVD
http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/

September 18, 2009:
NASA Invites Media to Ames for LCROSS Impact Events
See: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2009/M09-121.html

Saturday, September 12 @ Millbrae,CA: AANC Annual Meeting (Registration Required)
Astronomer Brian Day will present an illustrated talk on the LCROSS mission and its goals. Observations of the Moon by amateur astronomers will help refine new protocols for observing the Moon and increase our knowledge of the Moon. During the months leading up to the LCROSS launch, amateur astronomers are encouraged to image the north and south poles of the moon in preparation of impact. Find out more at the LCROSS Google Group page.

September 11: Crater selection!
At this morning's press conference at NASA-Ames Research Center, the LCROSS team formally announced the impact crater on the moon: Cabeus-A. You can see all the details @ http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/LCROSS_crater.html

Additionally, we formally dedicated the LCROSS mission to the memory of Walter Cronkite, a longtime advocate and storyteller of the US space program. One of his more memorable moments was the Apollo-11 landing on the moon on July 20, 1969. He died 40 years and a day after the launch of Apollo-11 (July 17, 2009).

September 8, 2009:
Target crater selected for Lunar Impact of LCROSS Spacecraft
NASA has identified the spot where it will search for water on the moon. The selected crater is an optimal target for evaluating if water ice exists at the lunar south pole. Briefing participants are Daniel Andrews, LCROSS project manager, Anthony Colaprete, LCROSS principal investigator, and Jennifer Heldmann, lead for the LCROSS observation campaign. Following the news briefing Friday, more will be reported here.

September 8, 2009 @ 8pm EDT, Princeton Univ, NJ:
Ken Kremer will describe how NASA re-ignited the US 'Return to the Moon' in June 2009 with the launch of two new science spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). Dr. Kremer will take the audience for an up-close and personal tour of the robotic duo and takes us inside the "Clean Room" for the last look before blast-off with top NASA scientists and learn about the science goals. More details at: http://www.princetonastronomy.org/

August 24, 2009:
Spacecraft Anomaly
Upon starting an early morning communications pass on Aug. 22, 2009, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission operations team discovered the spacecraft had experienced an anomaly. Two other press releases:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/lcross/090825fuel/
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2009/08/25/lcross-loses-much-of-reserve-fuel/

August 2009: Jen Heldmann gave a talk to the LPI Faculty group, which are community college and university faculty across the country. The video is now posted @ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/facultyInstitutes/FinesseResources.shtml
(or the direct link is here:  http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/facultyInstitutes/heldmann/heldmann.html)

August 17, 2009:
In the early hours of Aug. 17, 2009, LCROSS caught a unique glimpse of the Earth and its moon from its unique vantage point in space.

August 1, 2009:
Video Mission Update: LCROSS Flight Team Lead Paul Tompkins

Observe the Moon Night at NASA Ames, part of the International Year of Astronomy's nationwide Summer Star Party. More Details

July 27, 2009
Those of you local to NASA Ames Research Center in California have the opportunity of helping us to plan an event surrounding the LCROSS IMPACT. Give your opinion by responding to a brief survey.

July 2, 2009
For latest updates on LCROSS progress see: http://www.nasa.gov/LCROSS/

June 25, 2009: Elk Grove Citizen Online: Teaching Rocket Science to Fourth Graders

On Tuesday, June 23, LCROSS executed a swingby of the Moon.
LCROSS reached periselene, its closest approach, at 10:30:33 UT, with the spacecraft passing 1,988 miles (3200 km) from the Moon. The flyby resulted in a gravity assist from the Moon which put LCROSS into its cruise Lunar Gravity Assist Lunar Return Orbit (LGALRO). The swingby also provided mission scientists with an opportunity for instrument calibration and the return of images from the far side of the Moon. See video and additional photos.

LCROSS and LRO launched on Thursday, June 18 @ 5:32pm Eastern Time. Projected Impact at the lunar South Pole: Oct 9, 11:30 UT (7:30 EDT, 4:30 PDT) -- See News Release.

Andy Chaikin on the Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer entitled: NASA's Latest Lunar Mission
View in Flash or Download the slide show's audio in MP3 format

June 18, 2009
NASA Scientists Bring Light to Moon's Permanently Dark Craters
From NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA-- A new lunar topography map with the highest resolution of the moon's rugged south polar region provides new information on some of our natural satellite's darkest inhabitants -- permanently shadowed craters. Read More.

LCROSS and LRO now have a June 17, 2009 launch date. The four-day launch window leads to an impact at the lunar South Pole in the range of October 7-11, 2009. During the week of launch, there were LCROSS displays and talks continually available at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

Plan ahead: July 19, 2009
Join us at NASA Ames Research Center for MoonFest, an afternoon of family fun all about the Moon.
Sunday, July 19, 2009 @ 12 - 6 p.m. Hosted by LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation Sensing Satellite) and NASA Lunar Science Institute. More Details

June 17, 2009
Launch Event at NASA Ames Research Center at the Exploratilon Center to watch the launch on a big screen and ask questions about the LCROSS mission.

June 16, 2009
L-1 Webcast
http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/webcast.htm
Join us for a Launch Minus One (June 16) webcast where we’ll introduce you to some of these crucial participants and will provide you with information on how you too may become involved. Tuesday, June 16 @ 11:00 am EDT (8 am PDT, and 1500 GMT) Live from the Kennedy Space Center over the Internet.

June 13, 2009
In Florida for the launch? Join us on Saturday, June 13 @ 8:00 pm in the Brevard Community College, Astronomer and LCROSS E/PO Lead Brian Day will be presenting information for about the LCROSS mission at the Planetarium & Observatory.

June 12 through Launch
KSC Visitor Complex Offerings:

Public Talks @ KSC Visitor Center
L-4, 1:00 pm, Heldmann/Day ** STS-127 launch day **
L-3, 1:00 pm, Day/Heldmann
L-2, 2:00 pm, Colaprete/Heldmann
L-1, 12:00 pm, Andrews/Marmie
Staffed interactive LCROSS/LRO Exhibit, L-5 through L
IMAX Trailer featuring LCROSS, L-5 to L, plays before every show
ViewSpace Kiosk, L-5 to L

June 12, 2009
STATUS REPORT: ELV-061209
The Flight Readiness Review for LRO/LCROSS was held on June 10, and at its conclusion, there were no issues or concerns which would preclude a launch next week on June 17. On June 11, a mission dress rehearsal was conducted. This was a high-fidelity exercise for the launch team and affirmed their readiness for the countdown. Read More.

June 5, 2009
NASA SETS LUNAR SPACECRAFT LAUNCH COVERAGE EVENTS
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, spacecraft are set to launch together to the moon aboard an Atlas V rocket on June 17. Three launch opportunities from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., are at 3:51 p.m., 4:01 p.m. and 4:11 p.m. EDT.
NASA Television's coverage of the launch will begin at 1 p.m. EDT.
If the launch is postponed 24 hours, the launch times on June 18 are 5:12 p.m., 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.

June 5, 2009
EXPENDABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE STATUS REPORT
At Launch Complex 41 on June 1, the integrated systems test, an electrical test between the LRO/LCROSS spacecraft and the Atlas V launch vehicle, was completed successfully. On June 2, an integrated launch vehicle/spacecraft telemetry test was conducted successfully to verify that the LRO/LCROSS state of health parameters within this data stream can be fully monitored. On June 3, launch vehicle ordnance operations were performed. Read More.

June 2, 2009
LCROSS Lunar Impactor Mission
The LCROSS teams are continuing their prep work for next week's closeouts at the Pad on Tuesday. In the meantime, more readiness reviews await. Launch in 15 days (June 17).

June 1, 2009
LCROSS story airing this Mon morning, June 1, reairing at 8:33AM PDT on KQED 88.5 FM. Also streamed live & archived at www.kqed.org/quest

May 21, 2009
NASA Details Plans for Lunar Exploration Robotic Missions
On Thursday, the NASA outlined the upcoming missions of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS. The spacecraft will launch together June 17 aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Read more.

May 20, 2009
NASA Opens Media Accreditation for Moon Missions
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, missions to the moon are preparing for launch. The missions are targeted to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard an Atlas V rocket no earlier than June 17, 2009, at 6:51 p.m. PDT. Read more.

May 19, 2009
Take a look at images of what is happening at the cape in preparation for launch.

May 19, 2009
NASA Ames to Show Lunar Satellite Missions News Briefing
News media are invited to participate in a televised news briefing with panelists in Washington D.C. at 1 p.m. PDT on Thursday, May 21, about two upcoming lunar missions scheduled to launch in June that mark the beginning of a journey to better understand the moon. Read more.

April 30, 2009
The Atlas V first stage and the Centaur upper stage have been stacked in the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Launch Complex 41.

March 17, 2009
NASA Moon Mission Brings Divergent Passions Together
Growing up in the rural Appalachian foothills of the Ohio Valley, John Marmie developed a passion for music. When he combined that passion with his enthusiasm for space exploration, he was inspired to write an original song, 'Water on the Moon. Read more and listen to the song!

For more sources of news and up-to-date information see:

NASA Mission Page http://www.nasa.gov/lcross
LCROSS Facebook Pages: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LCROSS-Lunar-Impactor-Mission/154478180006
LCROSS Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/LCROSS_NASA
LCROSS Flight Director's Blog http://wiki.nasa.gov/cm/blog/lcrossfdblog
LCROSS Overview Presentation by Anthony Colaprete, Principal Investigator (March 09)

For archives of previous posts

Visit the NASA Mission Site @ http://www.nasa.gov/lcross