NASA Lunar Prospector

The Lunar Prospector was designed for a low polar orbit investigation of the moon, including mapping of surface composition and possible polar ice deposits, measurements of magnetic and gravity fields, and study of lunar outgassing events. Data from the 19 month mission will allow construction of a detailed map of the surface composition of the Moon, and will improve understanding of the origin, evolution, current state, and resources of the Moon.

The spacecraft was launched on January 7th 1998 by a three-stage Athena 2 rocket. The mission ended on July 31st 1999 when the Lunar Prospector was deliberately targeted to impact in a permanently shadowed crater near the lunar south pole. It was hoped that the impact would liberate water vapor from the suspected ice deposits in the crater and that the plume would be detectable from Earth, however, no plume was observed.

The Lunar Prospector mission was the third mission selected by NASA for full development and construction as part of NASA's Discovery Program. Total cost for the mission was $62.8 million.

The probe also carried a small part of the remains of Dr. Eugene Shoemaker, (April 28, 1928 - July 18, 1997), Astronomer and co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 to the moon for a space burial.