Nasa is making final preparations to launch a small car-sized robotic Moon probe in September in an attempt to answer prevailing questions about the lunar atmosphere.
The United States’ space agency is gearing up for the mission designed to gain a better picture of the structure and composition of Moon’s thin atmosphere.
The September 6 launch will be the first beyond Earth orbit from the Nasa’s Virginia Space Coast launch facility.
The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) will orbit the Moon to gather detailed information about lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust is being lofted into the lunar sky, Nasa said.
A thorough understanding of these characteristics of our nearest celestial neighbour will help researchers understand other bodies in the solar system, such as large asteroids, Mercury, and the Moons of outer planets, the agency said.