MoonRise
| Mission type | Lunar Sample Return |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Website | moonrise |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | October 2016 (planned) Not taken beyond study |
| Rocket | Atlas V 531 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
MoonRise is a mission to the Moon that focuses on the giant South Pole–Aitken basin on the far side of the Moon between the Moon's South Pole and Aitken Crater, 16° south of the Moon's equator. This basin measures nearly 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) in diameter and 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) in depth. This region is the oldest, deepest, observable impact basin on the Moon and provides a window into the deep crust of the Moon and its history as a result. The basin is also among the largest recognized impact structures in the Solar System.[1] The mission would be NASA's first unmanned sample return mission from another planetary body.[2]
Moonrise was not selected for the next New Frontiers program launch,[3][4] losing out to OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission.
References
External links
