NASA 'LCROSS' moon impact 2009

09 Oct 2009

Nasa's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) launched in June 2009, with the aim of investigating the presence of water in a crater near one of the moon's poles. LCROSS was to study debris caused by impacting its upper part (Centaur) into the surface of the moon. On October 9th 2009, Centaur successfully crashed into the moon; the rest of the spacecraft landed shortly afterwards and began relaying data back to earth.

LCROSS proved the presence of water on the moon, though in very low concentrations – around 10 parts per million. In lower concentrations, in other words, than the driest deserts on earth.