By Lady I mean LADEE – actually pronounced like “laddie”, not “lady”. She has reached its destination: The orbit of of our good old silver moon. Are you science buffs also excited about LADEE’s recent achievement? Continue reading to impress your science teacher.
LADEE now probes the extremely thin lunar atmosphere and investigates dust from the moon’s orbit. Atmospheres like the moon’s (called a surface boundary exosphere) are actually the most common type of atmosphere found in the solar system. The relatively thin atmosphere of our good Earth is the exception.
LADEE searches the moon’s atmosphere for lunar dust, possibly helping scientists solve a mystery. Some Apollo astronauts observed a glow on the horizon of the moon before sunrise. Scientists think that this may have been caused by electrically charged moon dust, a theory that LADEE is expected to solve.
As well as performing science, LADEE is also tasked with testing a new way to communicate with NASA controllers on the ground. The spacecraft’s Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration allows LADEE to send and receive data to and from the Earth via laser. The laser communication system is capable of sending six times more data rate from the moon than with the traditional radio system at half the weight and 25 percent less power.
I wish LADEE a stellar time (pun intended) in our moon’s orbit and you the student some extra credit points in your science presentation. If you need more help about the interesting science topic check out our science tutors.
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