GRAIL mission on final approach to Moon
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NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft undergoing launch preparations at Cape Canaveral back in September (Photo: NASA)
An artist's impression of GRAIL's formation orbit (Image: NASA)
The GRAIL orbiters launched aboard a Delta II rocket on September 10 2011 (Photo: NASA)
The GRAIL orbiters launched aboard a Delta II rocket on September 10 2011 (Photo: NASA)
Article Summary
If all goes to plan, tomorrow at 1:21 p.m. PST, NASA's GRAIL-A spacecraft will enter orbit about the Moon. GRAIL-A is one of two unmanned orbiters launched in September, with its sibling GRAIL-B due to enter orbit the following day (New Year's Day) at 2:05 p.m. PST. Together the two craft constitute the GRAIL mission (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory), charged with mapping the Moon's gravitation field.
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