NASA Ames to Showcase Spectacular LCROSS Lunar Impacts

NASA’s Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission will come to a dramatic conclusion at approximately 4:30 a.m. PDT (7:30 a.m. EDT) on Friday, Oct 9, 2009, with the impact of the LCROSS Centaur upper stage rocket and four minutes later, the impact of the LCROSS Shepherding Spacecraft into Cabeus crater near the moon’s south pole. To mark the event, NASA Ames Research Center is hosting ‘LCROSS Impact Night.’ News media are invited to cover the three-part event that is open to the public and free of charge.

WHAT: LCROSS Impact Night Public Event

WHEN: 7 p.m. PDT, Oct. 8 to 7 a.m. PDT, Oct. 9, 2009
Presentations
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PDT, Thursday, Oct. 8
S. Pete Worden, NASA Ames Center Director
Victoria P. Friedensen, LCROSS program executive
Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 astronaut

Moon-Themed Movie Night
8:30 p.m. PDT, Thursday, Oct. 8 to 3:15 a.m. PDT, Friday, Oct. 9.

Live NASA TV Broadcast of the LCROSS impacts with expert commentary
3:15 a.m. to 7 a.m. PDT, Friday, Oct. 9

WHERE: NASA Ames Research Center. To reach Ames, take U.S. Highway 101 to the Moffett Field/NASA Parkway exit and drive east on Moffett Field Boulevard toward the main gate.

The NASA Exploration Center, at NASA Ames, will serve as the press site for the LCROSS impacts. The press site opens to the news media at 5:30 p.m. PDT, Thursday Oct. 8 and will remain open until 9 a.m. PDT, Friday, Oct 9. All accredited news media must sign in at the Exploration Center to receive visitor badges and vehicle passes needed to gain access to the NASA Ames main auditorium for the post impact news conference.

Provided by NASA Ames Research Center