posted 08-06-2013 02:12 PM               

This thread is for comments and questions regarding LADEE mission to the moon and the updates published under the topic: NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE).

LADEE is a robotic mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the lunar atmosphere, conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust. An understanding of these characteristics will address long-standing unknowns, and help scientists understand other planetary bodies as well.

posted 08-06-2013 02:14 PM               

The LADEE spacecraft's modular common spacecraft bus, or body, is an innovative way of transitioning away from custom designs and toward multi-use designs and assembly-line production, which could drastically reduce the cost of spacecraft development, just as the Ford Model T did for automobiles.

posted 09-06-2013 08:27 AM               

Weather looks good — mostly clear skies with surface winds under 5 mph.

Earlier this year, during the cold winter, a friend and I used Google Earth & Maps to select some possible prime viewing locations. This past spring he made a trip out there to reconnoiter the spots and select the best.

I'm not exactly sure which public spot he selected, but his impression was that it's less than two miles form the pad. Guess I'll find out more when we get there.

Is there any information available about road and/or beach closings at launch time?

posted 09-06-2013 08:32 AM               

Residents and visitors for the launch of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), scheduled to lift-off at 11:27 p.m. EDT, Sept. 6, from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Pad-0B at the Wallops Flight Facility, will have two prime viewing locations.

In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Accomack County Board of Supervisors and the Town of Chincoteague, visitors to the area may view the launch from Robert Reed Park on Chincoteague or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.

The two sites will feature the LADEE launch countdown live and NASA personnel will be on hand to discuss the LADEE mission. In addition, a live broadcast of the launch operations will be shown on a big-screen projector in Robert Reed Park beginning at 9:30 p.m. on the day of launch.

...the Robert Reed Park and Beach Road viewing sites are the official viewing sites for the LADEE launch. Area residents and visitors to the area should note that the beach on Assateague Island (Va.) will close at 7 p.m. on day of launch and will not be open for launch viewing given the safety area required for LADEE's launch trajectory. Furthermore, it's expected that the NASA Visitors Center will reach capacity early and close.

posted 09-06-2013 10:21 AM               

As for whether they will be open again for Antares in a couple of weeks remains to be seen. They may limit crowds from now on.

posted 09-08-2013 06:24 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Ben:
The spots you found are all going to be closed for this one

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We had looked at a spot that was a little closer. But others told us that our primary spot would be closed for sure, just like it had been for Antares. Sure enough, after dinner we found that road was barricaded and guarded by the authorities. So we retreated to the 2.1 mile site.

One interesting after effect was a roaring grass fire caused by the launch. Here's a photo I snapped of it:

posted 09-09-2013 09:10 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Glint:
But others told us that our primary spot would be closed for sure, just like it had been for Antares.

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posted 09-12-2013 11:08 AM               

A still camera on a sound trigger captured this intriguing photo of an airborne frog as NASA's LADEE spacecraft lifts off from Pad 0B at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The photo team confirms the frog is real and was captured in a single frame by one of the remote cameras used to photograph the launch. The condition of the frog, however, is uncertain.

Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge was created on July 10, 1975 and is comprised mainly of salt marsh and woodlands. The wildlife refuge contains habitat for a variety of species, including upland- and wetland-dependent migratory birds. Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has an agreement with NASA to use the NASA-owned portion of Wallops Island for research and management of declining wildlife in special need of protection. The agreement with NASA covers approximately 3,000 acres of Wallops Island proper and is primarily salt marsh.

But how is it possible for wildlife to peacefully coexist with space operations and what effects do rocket launches have on wildlife? NASA’s launch facilities, roads, and facilities take up a small percentage of the area. The rest of the area remains undeveloped and provides excellent habitat for wildlife. During launches, short term disturbance occurs in the immediate vicinity of the launch pads, but the disturbance is short-lived allowing space launches and a wildlife habitat to coexist.

posted 04-04-2014 12:11 AM               

Guess the LADEE Impact:
'Take the Plunge' Challenge

What's your best guess? NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft is gradually lowering its orbital altitude over the moon, as it continues to make important science observations.

When do you think it'll take the plunge?

LADEE mission managers expect the spacecraft will impact of the moon's surface on or before April 21. On April 11, ground controllers at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., will command LADEE to perform its final orbital maintenance maneuver prior to a total lunar eclipse on April 15, when Earth's shadow passes over the moon. This eclipse, which will last approximately four hours, exposes the spacecraft to conditions just on the edge of what it was designed to survive.

This final maneuver will ensure that LADEE's trajectory will impact the far side of the moon, which is not in view of Earth and away from any previous lunar mission landings. There are no plans to target a particular impact location on the lunar surface, and the exact date and time depends on several factors.

Enter the Take the Plunge: LADEE Impact Challenge.

Winners will be announced after impact and will be e-mailed a commemorative, personalized certificate from the LADEE program. The submissions deadline is 3 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, April 11. Only one submission per person and only the first submission counts in the case of a duplicate entry. NASA is not responsible for loss or damages incurred as a result of you submitting your guess. NASA, moreover, is not responsible for loss or damages incurred if the challenge is cancelled with limited or no notice.

For more information about this challenge, visit the main Challenge site and for more about the LADEE mission, visit the LADEE website.