NASA Going Back To The Moon
CAPE CANAVERAL (CBS4) – Four decades after astronauts first touched down on the moon NASA is going back.
A set of robotic twins are scheduled to blast off Thursday aboard an unmanned rocket and will separate an hour into the flight. After traveling independently to the moon, they will circle the planet for three months.
While in orbit the two spacecraft, which are each about the size of a washing machine, will measure lunar gravity. By creating the most precise lunar gravity map ever, scientists hope to figure out what's beneath the lunar surface, all the way to the core.
Since the Space Age began in 1957, 109 missions have targeted the moon and 12 men have walked its surface during six landings.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
