NASA Makes New Year’s Resolution: More Lunar Discoveries in 2012


NASA is starting the new year by putting two spacecrafts into orbit around the moon. The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, Grail, spacecrafts are expected to start orbiting the moon today.

Space.com reports that the first Grail Spacecraft, Grail A, approached the moon last night, and the second probe will fire its rocket engine tonight in an attempt to enter lunar orbit.

Grail principal investigator Maria Zuber said that he made a new year’s resolution to discover more about the moon in 2012. Zuber said:

“My resolution for the new year is to unlock lunar mysteries and understand how the moon, Earth and other rocky planets evolved. Now, with Grail-A successfully placed in orbit around the moon, we are one step closer to achieving that goal.”

The $492 million mission will hopefully give scientists clues about how the moon’s interior structure, what it is made of, and how it was formed. Space.com reports that Grail-A is orbiting the moon within 56 miles at its closest point. Grail-, which will attempt to enter orbit tonight, is currently about 20,000 miles away from the moon and cruising at close to 900 mph.

Grail project manager David Lehman said:

“With Grail-A in lunar orbit we are halfway home. Tomorrow may be New Year’s everywhere else, but it’s another work day around the moon and here at JPL for the Grail team.”

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions this year? Are your resolutions as ambitious as NASA’s?

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