NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite lifted off aboard an Atlas V rocket on June 18, 2009, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Relive the milestones of the countdown with NASA's Launch Blog.

The LCROSS spacecraft is aiming to crash the Centaur upper stage and then itself into a crater at the moon's south pole in an effort to conclusively determine whether there is water or ice on the lunar surface. The spacecraft is equipped with nine instruments designed to scan the plume of lunar material kicked up when the Centaur slams into the moon. After relaying its data to Earth, the LCROSS will create a second plume when it impacts.

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