1 00:00:17,189 --> 00:00:15,509 good morning and welcome to the nasa 2 00:00:19,429 --> 00:00:17,199 goddard space flight center in greenbelt 3 00:00:21,349 --> 00:00:19,439 maryland my name is nancy neal jones and 4 00:00:22,230 --> 00:00:21,359 i'm with the office of public affairs 5 00:00:23,670 --> 00:00:22,240 we're sitting in the lunar 6 00:00:25,349 --> 00:00:23,680 reconnaissance orbiter mission 7 00:00:27,589 --> 00:00:25,359 operations center in preparation for 8 00:00:29,830 --> 00:00:27,599 lunar orbit insertion the yellow 9 00:00:32,069 --> 00:00:29,840 spacecraft launched on june 18th from 10 00:00:33,590 --> 00:00:32,079 cape canaveral florida and for the past 11 00:00:36,229 --> 00:00:33,600 four and a half days it's been on a 12 00:00:37,910 --> 00:00:36,239 trajectory towards the mill now in just 13 00:00:39,670 --> 00:00:37,920 a few minutes the control engineers 14 00:00:41,270 --> 00:00:39,680 behind me will begin the burn that will 15 00:00:43,590 --> 00:00:41,280 put the spacecraft in position to be 16 00:00:46,470 --> 00:00:43,600 captured by the moon's orbit the insert 17 00:00:49,430 --> 00:00:46,480 we call this lunar orbit insertion now 18 00:00:51,430 --> 00:00:49,440 the insertion burn lasts for roughly 40 19 00:00:53,189 --> 00:00:51,440 minutes 20 00:00:55,510 --> 00:00:53,199 then for the next three days the 21 00:00:57,990 --> 00:00:55,520 engineers may do a series of short orbit 22 00:01:00,630 --> 00:00:58,000 adjust burns each day in order to reach 23 00:01:02,229 --> 00:01:00,640 the desired 30 by 216 kilometer 24 00:01:03,990 --> 00:01:02,239 commissioning orbit 25 00:01:05,509 --> 00:01:04,000 now to learn more about the yellow 26 00:01:13,910 --> 00:01:05,519 remission let's take a look at one of 27 00:01:19,830 --> 00:01:16,149 i think that it's in human nature to 28 00:01:24,070 --> 00:01:21,990 understanding the moon better will help 29 00:01:26,950 --> 00:01:24,080 us to understand our neighbors in the 30 00:01:29,670 --> 00:01:26,960 solar system we're exploring the solar 31 00:01:31,429 --> 00:01:29,680 system here not just the moon 32 00:01:34,469 --> 00:01:31,439 the moon is the natural 33 00:01:43,830 --> 00:01:34,479 next step in in our exploration of our 34 00:01:47,590 --> 00:01:46,069 the lunar reconnaissance orbiter is as 35 00:01:49,910 --> 00:01:47,600 its namesake says a reconnaissance 36 00:01:51,670 --> 00:01:49,920 mission to the moon our job is to take a 37 00:01:53,429 --> 00:01:51,680 suite of very powerful scientific 38 00:01:55,910 --> 00:01:53,439 instruments and make an atlas of the 39 00:01:58,789 --> 00:01:55,920 entire moon in some places in very great 40 00:02:01,429 --> 00:01:58,799 detail topography mountain heights 41 00:02:03,270 --> 00:02:01,439 mineralogy temperatures abundances of 42 00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:03,280 resources including potentially the 43 00:02:05,990 --> 00:02:04,560 intriguing possibility that there's 44 00:02:07,830 --> 00:02:06,000 water at the moon we put all this 45 00:02:09,749 --> 00:02:07,840 together into a data set by flying low 46 00:02:11,510 --> 00:02:09,759 over the moon for a year this is the 47 00:02:13,830 --> 00:02:11,520 data that the people designing the 48 00:02:15,270 --> 00:02:13,840 systems picking the sites need to take 49 00:02:17,510 --> 00:02:15,280 us back to the moon 50 00:02:20,150 --> 00:02:17,520 well we learned much about the moon from 51 00:02:22,390 --> 00:02:20,160 the apollo program but now we want to 52 00:02:23,430 --> 00:02:22,400 return to the moon for a more intensive 53 00:02:25,190 --> 00:02:23,440 study 54 00:02:27,270 --> 00:02:25,200 we want to be able to go back to the 55 00:02:29,910 --> 00:02:27,280 moon so that we can live there for long 56 00:02:31,990 --> 00:02:29,920 periods and work on the moon so we need 57 00:02:34,710 --> 00:02:32,000 a mission that can help us find the best 58 00:02:39,910 --> 00:02:34,720 places to go and determine how to go 59 00:02:43,750 --> 00:02:42,070 we know that you know neil armstrong and 60 00:02:45,910 --> 00:02:43,760 some of the others had a difficult time 61 00:02:47,509 --> 00:02:45,920 finding a safe landing site 62 00:02:49,270 --> 00:02:47,519 they didn't see it until they got there 63 00:02:51,270 --> 00:02:49,280 but now with with our instruments we'll 64 00:02:54,229 --> 00:02:51,280 be able to tell people ahead of time 65 00:02:57,350 --> 00:02:54,239 look don't go there lro will have a 66 00:03:00,390 --> 00:02:57,360 laser system that will give us a high 67 00:03:02,949 --> 00:03:00,400 resolution topographic map of the moon 68 00:03:04,550 --> 00:03:02,959 it also has high resolution cameras that 69 00:03:07,110 --> 00:03:04,560 will identify 70 00:03:09,190 --> 00:03:07,120 objects that are only a foot or two in 71 00:03:11,670 --> 00:03:09,200 size so that we know where there are no 72 00:03:13,750 --> 00:03:11,680 large boulders that could be a risk to 73 00:03:15,430 --> 00:03:13,760 astronauts so our job is to literally 74 00:03:18,149 --> 00:03:15,440 complete the job of mapping the moon do 75 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:18,159 it at high resolutions and enable enable 76 00:03:22,309 --> 00:03:20,640 the designers of the human systems 77 00:03:24,630 --> 00:03:22,319 the atlas they need to pick the safe 78 00:03:30,229 --> 00:03:24,640 places to go the beneficial places to go 79 00:03:33,990 --> 00:03:31,990 in addition to the safe landing sites 80 00:03:36,229 --> 00:03:34,000 lro is looking for potential resources 81 00:03:38,149 --> 00:03:36,239 and why are we doing that 82 00:03:40,390 --> 00:03:38,159 because it's really hard to carry all 83 00:03:42,949 --> 00:03:40,400 your supplies with you i mean you can do 84 00:03:45,110 --> 00:03:42,959 it but you really spend a lot of 85 00:03:46,789 --> 00:03:45,120 not only fuel but cargo space so it'd be 86 00:03:49,190 --> 00:03:46,799 really nice to go to a place that 87 00:03:51,830 --> 00:03:49,200 already has the resources whether it's 88 00:03:54,470 --> 00:03:51,840 water ice to have water or 89 00:03:56,470 --> 00:03:54,480 potential minerals that we could use as 90 00:03:58,149 --> 00:03:56,480 raw materials to make into things that 91 00:04:00,149 --> 00:03:58,159 we would need 92 00:04:02,149 --> 00:04:00,159 we think the most interesting parts of 93 00:04:04,789 --> 00:04:02,159 the moon may be the polar regions of the 94 00:04:07,589 --> 00:04:04,799 moon uh because there could be resources 95 00:04:10,550 --> 00:04:07,599 there and so we're going to study 96 00:04:12,710 --> 00:04:10,560 intensively the polar regions with lro 97 00:04:14,470 --> 00:04:12,720 from the apollo era we chose to go for 98 00:04:16,150 --> 00:04:14,480 good reasons because it was literally 99 00:04:17,909 --> 00:04:16,160 the easiest to go to the equatorial 100 00:04:20,150 --> 00:04:17,919 regions and stay a very short time it 101 00:04:21,590 --> 00:04:20,160 was very ambitious program but 102 00:04:23,830 --> 00:04:21,600 but when you look at where would you 103 00:04:26,469 --> 00:04:23,840 like to go and and stay for a while on 104 00:04:27,990 --> 00:04:26,479 the moon you begin to realize that 105 00:04:29,270 --> 00:04:28,000 probably the polls are the most 106 00:04:31,270 --> 00:04:29,280 interesting place 107 00:04:33,350 --> 00:04:31,280 access to solar power 108 00:04:35,350 --> 00:04:33,360 continuously that may be the first and 109 00:04:38,310 --> 00:04:35,360 most important reason over you know the 110 00:04:40,150 --> 00:04:38,320 near term and then the possibility of 111 00:04:42,469 --> 00:04:40,160 resources being there 112 00:04:44,230 --> 00:04:42,479 those may take much longer time 113 00:04:46,310 --> 00:04:44,240 before we're able to really exploit 114 00:04:49,270 --> 00:04:46,320 those but the solar power is something 115 00:04:51,990 --> 00:04:49,280 we can exploit right away 116 00:04:53,670 --> 00:04:52,000 uh the second big resource on the moon 117 00:04:55,909 --> 00:04:53,680 may be water ice 118 00:04:58,550 --> 00:04:55,919 there's evidence from earlier missions 119 00:05:00,310 --> 00:04:58,560 that in dark places at the poles 120 00:05:02,550 --> 00:05:00,320 there may be water 121 00:05:04,790 --> 00:05:02,560 at the surface or below the surface in 122 00:05:06,469 --> 00:05:04,800 the form of ice crystals 123 00:05:09,350 --> 00:05:06,479 if it is abundant 124 00:05:11,990 --> 00:05:09,360 astronauts could use this for both 125 00:05:16,950 --> 00:05:12,000 human consumption and as a source of 126 00:05:21,909 --> 00:05:19,590 lro will measure for the first time this 127 00:05:23,830 --> 00:05:21,919 very energetic component of the space 128 00:05:25,670 --> 00:05:23,840 radiation environment 129 00:05:28,790 --> 00:05:25,680 in order to see whether it's going to be 130 00:05:31,110 --> 00:05:28,800 a problem for humans or not it was one 131 00:05:33,350 --> 00:05:31,120 thing to go for a handful of days in 132 00:05:35,270 --> 00:05:33,360 apollo and go when you knew that the sun 133 00:05:36,150 --> 00:05:35,280 was quiet or you hoped the sun stayed 134 00:05:38,230 --> 00:05:36,160 quiet 135 00:05:40,629 --> 00:05:38,240 and and you took the risk you calculated 136 00:05:42,230 --> 00:05:40,639 the the risk of cancer and such and and 137 00:05:43,670 --> 00:05:42,240 you made a short mission you're going to 138 00:05:45,430 --> 00:05:43,680 live there longer you need to you need 139 00:05:47,110 --> 00:05:45,440 to understand it well enough to go 140 00:05:49,110 --> 00:05:47,120 here's what i need to do to protect 141 00:05:53,029 --> 00:05:49,120 myself one of the things that we're 142 00:05:55,590 --> 00:05:53,039 looking for uh in the lro mission is 143 00:05:58,870 --> 00:05:55,600 how the high radiation environment 144 00:06:00,629 --> 00:05:58,880 affects our ability to explore so if we 145 00:06:02,950 --> 00:06:00,639 bring cameras or 146 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:02,960 communication devices you know how will 147 00:06:07,189 --> 00:06:05,840 they be impacted by the cosmic radiation 148 00:06:08,710 --> 00:06:07,199 we need to 149 00:06:17,270 --> 00:06:08,720 protect our equipment as well as 150 00:06:21,909 --> 00:06:19,749 when we look back on what we did in lro 151 00:06:23,909 --> 00:06:21,919 and we look at what followed i think 152 00:06:26,469 --> 00:06:23,919 we'll see a profound impact we'll see us 153 00:06:29,110 --> 00:06:26,479 as really being you know the small first 154 00:06:31,189 --> 00:06:29,120 step where we have human beings 155 00:06:32,710 --> 00:06:31,199 permanently off this planet beginning to 156 00:06:34,469 --> 00:06:32,720 move out into the solar system starting 157 00:06:36,710 --> 00:06:34,479 with the moon as that pans out i think i 158 00:06:38,790 --> 00:06:36,720 think will be a small piece of of a 159 00:06:40,230 --> 00:06:38,800 profound development that when history 160 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:40,240 looks back so this time we went back to 161 00:07:00,070 --> 00:06:42,160 the moon this time we 162 00:07:04,309 --> 00:07:02,550 so as you can see lro is pretty critical 163 00:07:06,309 --> 00:07:04,319 to nasa's mission of returning humans to 164 00:07:08,230 --> 00:07:06,319 the moon and sitting with us today we 165 00:07:10,629 --> 00:07:08,240 have kathy petty the deputy project 166 00:07:13,430 --> 00:07:10,639 manager for the lro mission thank you 167 00:07:15,670 --> 00:07:13,440 kathy for sitting with us today 168 00:07:16,950 --> 00:07:15,680 oh you're more than welcome welcome well 169 00:07:19,350 --> 00:07:16,960 kathy um 170 00:07:21,670 --> 00:07:19,360 can you tell us a little bit more about 171 00:07:22,950 --> 00:07:21,680 um the lunar insertion burn that we're 172 00:07:24,550 --> 00:07:22,960 here to witness 173 00:07:26,390 --> 00:07:24,560 okay this is um 174 00:07:28,070 --> 00:07:26,400 lro's most critical 175 00:07:31,749 --> 00:07:28,080 activity that we've been planning for 176 00:07:34,550 --> 00:07:31,759 for um over four years 177 00:07:37,110 --> 00:07:34,560 the lunar orbit insertion burn 178 00:07:40,790 --> 00:07:37,120 is what we use to help change lro's 179 00:07:43,189 --> 00:07:40,800 velocity as lro is right now 180 00:07:45,430 --> 00:07:43,199 falling towards the moon and this burn 181 00:07:48,070 --> 00:07:45,440 will help us change its velocity so that 182 00:07:50,150 --> 00:07:48,080 the moon will be able to capture lro and 183 00:07:52,070 --> 00:07:50,160 once uh the moon captures lro then we'll 184 00:07:53,830 --> 00:07:52,080 be able to lower it into its orbit and 185 00:07:55,990 --> 00:07:53,840 begin our mission well this is a pretty 186 00:07:57,909 --> 00:07:56,000 exciting moment kathy carrie yeah can 187 00:08:00,469 --> 00:07:57,919 you tell the audience a little bit about 188 00:08:02,070 --> 00:08:00,479 your role in the llo mission 189 00:08:05,029 --> 00:08:02,080 well um 190 00:08:07,029 --> 00:08:05,039 i've been very fortunate to be the 191 00:08:08,629 --> 00:08:07,039 the deputy project manager for this 192 00:08:09,589 --> 00:08:08,639 project and gotten to be able to work 193 00:08:11,830 --> 00:08:09,599 with 194 00:08:14,150 --> 00:08:11,840 these totally awesome people that the 195 00:08:16,790 --> 00:08:14,160 engineers that not only designed and 196 00:08:18,469 --> 00:08:16,800 built and tested lro but the the people 197 00:08:20,950 --> 00:08:18,479 that you see behind in the control 198 00:08:21,909 --> 00:08:20,960 center here the mission operations team 199 00:08:25,189 --> 00:08:21,919 who 200 00:08:27,589 --> 00:08:25,199 work tires tirelessly to make sure that 201 00:08:29,749 --> 00:08:27,599 we're able to fly lro and operate it to 202 00:08:31,749 --> 00:08:29,759 the moon and things so 203 00:08:33,269 --> 00:08:31,759 i've gotten able to work with all these 204 00:08:35,269 --> 00:08:33,279 people and 205 00:08:37,110 --> 00:08:35,279 put together the whole aspects 206 00:08:39,190 --> 00:08:37,120 the business part the technical part 207 00:08:41,110 --> 00:08:39,200 it's been a really cool job and this is 208 00:08:43,509 --> 00:08:41,120 a really exciting moment for us well you 209 00:08:44,949 --> 00:08:43,519 know lro was a pretty fast-track mission 210 00:08:46,790 --> 00:08:44,959 from conception yeah very good 211 00:08:49,269 --> 00:08:46,800 development tell us a little bit more 212 00:08:50,710 --> 00:08:49,279 about you know building lro and testing 213 00:08:52,070 --> 00:08:50,720 and integrating it at the goddard space 214 00:08:53,590 --> 00:08:52,080 flight center 215 00:08:56,310 --> 00:08:53,600 goddard uh 216 00:08:58,870 --> 00:08:56,320 we we've done a really great job here at 217 00:09:01,110 --> 00:08:58,880 uh goddard in terms of designing and 218 00:09:03,990 --> 00:09:01,120 fast tracking the spacecraft 219 00:09:06,470 --> 00:09:04,000 we have a strong heritage here of of 220 00:09:07,910 --> 00:09:06,480 many spacecraft so we're able to 221 00:09:10,870 --> 00:09:07,920 take lessons learned from the many 222 00:09:11,750 --> 00:09:10,880 projects that we did before and um you 223 00:09:14,389 --> 00:09:11,760 know 224 00:09:16,470 --> 00:09:14,399 put them right to use with lro so we 225 00:09:18,630 --> 00:09:16,480 didn't have to start from a blank sheet 226 00:09:20,949 --> 00:09:18,640 of paper we were able to talk to our 227 00:09:24,470 --> 00:09:20,959 comrades on other projects and use that 228 00:09:26,150 --> 00:09:24,480 so we were um we were able to to take 229 00:09:27,350 --> 00:09:26,160 designs and lessons learned from 230 00:09:29,750 --> 00:09:27,360 projects like 231 00:09:32,790 --> 00:09:29,760 you know sdo and 232 00:09:34,470 --> 00:09:32,800 you know hubble and all the 233 00:09:36,470 --> 00:09:34,480 the multiple missions that we've had 234 00:09:38,710 --> 00:09:36,480 here and be able to take that right into 235 00:09:41,030 --> 00:09:38,720 what we need to do for the for the lro 236 00:09:42,870 --> 00:09:41,040 project and also a lot of stuff that we 237 00:09:43,829 --> 00:09:42,880 do in terms of testing the spacecraft 238 00:09:45,750 --> 00:09:43,839 and 239 00:09:47,269 --> 00:09:45,760 integrating it 240 00:09:48,790 --> 00:09:47,279 made it just a lot easier for us because 241 00:09:50,389 --> 00:09:48,800 our schedule as you said was very 242 00:09:51,350 --> 00:09:50,399 aggressive very fast 243 00:09:53,269 --> 00:09:51,360 and 244 00:09:54,710 --> 00:09:53,279 if it hadn't been for you know our 245 00:09:56,070 --> 00:09:54,720 ability here at goddard we probably 246 00:09:57,990 --> 00:09:56,080 wouldn't have been able to do it that 247 00:10:00,070 --> 00:09:58,000 quickly well that's great like on a 248 00:10:01,590 --> 00:10:00,080 personal level kathy i mean i know from 249 00:10:03,350 --> 00:10:01,600 a young age you've been really 250 00:10:05,350 --> 00:10:03,360 interested in the move so has this 251 00:10:08,710 --> 00:10:05,360 project been a dream come true for you 252 00:10:12,630 --> 00:10:08,720 yeah oh yeah absolutely i you know i uh 253 00:10:14,870 --> 00:10:12,640 i got to meet my hero neil armstrong um 254 00:10:17,110 --> 00:10:14,880 a year ago and you know as a little kid 255 00:10:19,829 --> 00:10:17,120 you know you you um you 256 00:10:21,430 --> 00:10:19,839 i always dreamed of you know being able 257 00:10:23,430 --> 00:10:21,440 to work for nasa and follow in the 258 00:10:25,750 --> 00:10:23,440 footsteps of these totally awesome 259 00:10:27,430 --> 00:10:25,760 people that got to walk on the moon and 260 00:10:28,870 --> 00:10:27,440 here i am you know with the lunar 261 00:10:31,430 --> 00:10:28,880 reconnaissance orbiter project going 262 00:10:33,269 --> 00:10:31,440 back to the moon i mean it's it's just 263 00:10:35,590 --> 00:10:33,279 it's just a dream come true that we're 264 00:10:37,590 --> 00:10:35,600 taking nasa and everyone back to the 265 00:10:39,509 --> 00:10:37,600 moon tonight it's it's it's a dream come 266 00:10:41,990 --> 00:10:39,519 true for me and and all of our team 267 00:10:43,910 --> 00:10:42,000 members we're very excited well just on 268 00:10:45,030 --> 00:10:43,920 a personal note kathy i mean how do you 269 00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:45,040 feel 270 00:10:49,030 --> 00:10:47,200 seeing your baby so there's finally 271 00:10:51,430 --> 00:10:49,040 getting ready to reach his destination i 272 00:10:53,910 --> 00:10:51,440 can i can barely contain myself you know 273 00:10:56,150 --> 00:10:53,920 this is just so exciting i'm i'm like 274 00:10:58,230 --> 00:10:56,160 nervous happy excited all at the same 275 00:10:59,990 --> 00:10:58,240 time and um this is the moment that 276 00:11:01,910 --> 00:11:00,000 we've all been waiting for you know all 277 00:11:03,030 --> 00:11:01,920 these years so we're you'll probably see 278 00:11:05,910 --> 00:11:03,040 us all get 279 00:11:07,750 --> 00:11:05,920 really excited here tonight um 280 00:11:09,829 --> 00:11:07,760 i'll probably cry i got a box of tissues 281 00:11:12,069 --> 00:11:09,839 back there because this is just a 282 00:11:13,750 --> 00:11:12,079 tremendous moment for all of us all 283 00:11:15,670 --> 00:11:13,760 right well kathy thank you so much for 284 00:11:17,350 --> 00:11:15,680 taking the time to stop by and have a 285 00:11:18,790 --> 00:11:17,360 chat with us and best of luck with the 286 00:11:21,110 --> 00:11:18,800 mission thank you very much thank you 287 00:11:23,110 --> 00:11:21,120 for being here with us so great thank 288 00:11:25,350 --> 00:11:23,120 you now let's take another look inside 289 00:11:43,269 --> 00:11:25,360 the control room as the burn 290 00:11:47,269 --> 00:11:46,150 my gnc we're on target 291 00:12:01,190 --> 00:11:47,279 attitude 292 00:12:07,829 --> 00:12:03,030 okay we're five minutes out from the 293 00:12:12,949 --> 00:12:07,839 burn this is the final go no go pull 294 00:12:16,470 --> 00:12:14,230 emmy go 295 00:12:17,670 --> 00:12:16,480 systems go 296 00:12:18,550 --> 00:12:17,680 fido 297 00:12:19,670 --> 00:12:18,560 go 298 00:12:20,629 --> 00:12:19,680 cndh 299 00:12:21,750 --> 00:12:20,639 go 300 00:12:22,629 --> 00:12:21,760 software 301 00:12:37,509 --> 00:12:22,639 go 302 00:12:39,350 --> 00:12:38,470 thermal 303 00:12:40,470 --> 00:12:39,360 go 304 00:12:41,670 --> 00:12:40,480 power 305 00:12:45,990 --> 00:12:41,680 go 306 00:12:49,670 --> 00:12:46,000 deployable 307 00:12:49,680 --> 00:15:57,110 hey all systems are good 308 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:52,230 one minute to burn start 309 00:16:52,240 --> 00:17:19,110 10 seconds 310 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:33,029 okay we enter delta v 311 00:17:37,350 --> 00:17:34,710 plate this is acs hardware confirming 312 00:17:39,390 --> 00:17:37,360 all thruster currents are nominal 313 00:17:41,590 --> 00:17:39,400 after that we see the three degree 314 00:17:44,710 --> 00:17:41,600 translated flight 315 00:17:49,190 --> 00:17:47,590 copy 316 00:17:50,789 --> 00:17:49,200 prop flight 317 00:17:52,630 --> 00:17:50,799 ready flight 318 00:18:40,870 --> 00:17:52,640 thruster is all located 319 00:18:45,029 --> 00:18:43,270 everything look nominal uh so far so 320 00:18:47,590 --> 00:18:45,039 good 321 00:19:22,789 --> 00:18:47,600 i'm expecting 85 to drop below 10 at 322 00:19:38,070 --> 00:19:26,230 prop plate thrusters all look nominal 323 00:19:59,270 --> 00:19:53,270 okay 324 00:20:00,870 --> 00:19:59,280 goddard's chief engineer so jim can you 325 00:20:03,110 --> 00:20:00,880 tell us a little bit about what's going 326 00:20:05,190 --> 00:20:03,120 on right now well nancy we're right in 327 00:20:07,430 --> 00:20:05,200 the middle now beginning the critical 328 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:07,440 burn this firing of a critical rocket 329 00:20:11,669 --> 00:20:09,760 that will put lro into its safe capture 330 00:20:13,350 --> 00:20:11,679 orbit that will allow it to begin in 331 00:20:15,270 --> 00:20:13,360 about a month its mapping so this is the 332 00:20:16,549 --> 00:20:15,280 most important step of the mission right 333 00:20:18,070 --> 00:20:16,559 now that we've been dreaming of for the 334 00:20:21,190 --> 00:20:18,080 last five years 335 00:20:22,950 --> 00:20:21,200 that's just great so jim you you were 336 00:20:25,190 --> 00:20:22,960 pretty instrumental in getting this 337 00:20:27,590 --> 00:20:25,200 mission off the ground um how did this 338 00:20:30,230 --> 00:20:27,600 project begin well nancy it really began 339 00:20:32,149 --> 00:20:30,240 if you think back to when we left the 340 00:20:34,870 --> 00:20:32,159 moon with apollo and what was left from 341 00:20:36,789 --> 00:20:34,880 the samples and in the aftermath of that 342 00:20:38,870 --> 00:20:36,799 we thought we have to go back and going 343 00:20:40,230 --> 00:20:38,880 back to the moon to do both science and 344 00:20:42,789 --> 00:20:40,240 the engineering to plan for human 345 00:20:44,230 --> 00:20:42,799 exploration is really what began lro and 346 00:20:47,270 --> 00:20:44,240 the president's speech in january of 347 00:20:48,630 --> 00:20:47,280 2004 said our first step back is to open 348 00:20:51,590 --> 00:20:48,640 the frontier of the moon with something 349 00:20:53,750 --> 00:20:51,600 like lro well now we're here flying it 350 00:20:56,070 --> 00:20:53,760 well that's just great i mean jim we 351 00:20:57,029 --> 00:20:56,080 sent humans to the moon like 40 years 352 00:20:59,029 --> 00:20:57,039 ago 353 00:21:00,789 --> 00:20:59,039 why do we need to go back moon's a big 354 00:21:03,590 --> 00:21:00,799 place nancy people forget it's got a 355 00:21:05,270 --> 00:21:03,600 land area the size of africa we surveyed 356 00:21:07,590 --> 00:21:05,280 and really studied six key places with 357 00:21:09,110 --> 00:21:07,600 the lunar landings returned the samples 358 00:21:11,590 --> 00:21:09,120 we looked again with prospector but 359 00:21:13,510 --> 00:21:11,600 we've left a frontier unexplored lro 360 00:21:15,510 --> 00:21:13,520 will fill in all the gaps at the scales 361 00:21:18,310 --> 00:21:15,520 we need for the engineering decisions to 362 00:21:20,710 --> 00:21:18,320 send people back there 363 00:21:22,630 --> 00:21:20,720 so jim take a look at the screen what 364 00:21:24,470 --> 00:21:22,640 exactly are we seeing right now well 365 00:21:25,990 --> 00:21:24,480 we're seeing the beginnings of the lunar 366 00:21:28,549 --> 00:21:26,000 orbit insertion and over the next 367 00:21:30,549 --> 00:21:28,559 several minutes the primary rocket motor 368 00:21:33,430 --> 00:21:30,559 will fire with the thrusters controlling 369 00:21:35,190 --> 00:21:33,440 it and after that time we will be in a 370 00:21:37,190 --> 00:21:35,200 capture orbit around the moon and we'll 371 00:21:37,990 --> 00:21:37,200 be back for good it's kind of like we're 372 00:21:40,310 --> 00:21:38,000 back 373 00:21:42,710 --> 00:21:40,320 and this is the key step to do it 374 00:21:44,549 --> 00:21:42,720 okay so jim just a little bit more about 375 00:21:46,710 --> 00:21:44,559 what mysteries through the moon does the 376 00:21:49,510 --> 00:21:46,720 moon still hold well the moon is kind of 377 00:21:51,590 --> 00:21:49,520 mother nature's special chronometer and 378 00:21:53,270 --> 00:21:51,600 as we think about it we realize what we 379 00:21:55,909 --> 00:21:53,280 learned from apollo told us it's part of 380 00:21:56,789 --> 00:21:55,919 our history so we're interested in not 381 00:21:57,909 --> 00:21:56,799 only 382 00:21:59,190 --> 00:21:57,919 extending what apollo did but 383 00:22:00,870 --> 00:21:59,200 discovering a pneumonia one of the 384 00:22:03,270 --> 00:22:00,880 things is does the moon sequester 385 00:22:04,549 --> 00:22:03,280 resources that we could use scientific 386 00:22:06,149 --> 00:22:04,559 and for people 387 00:22:07,510 --> 00:22:06,159 what really is the history of the 388 00:22:09,510 --> 00:22:07,520 moonlight we haven't studied the poles 389 00:22:11,350 --> 00:22:09,520 of the moon what is the moon like at 390 00:22:12,950 --> 00:22:11,360 human scales and finally what's the 391 00:22:14,390 --> 00:22:12,960 temperature space of the moon like when 392 00:22:16,390 --> 00:22:14,400 we look at this planet we think it's a 393 00:22:18,549 --> 00:22:16,400 simple world but we realize now the 394 00:22:20,710 --> 00:22:18,559 lunar poles you can see them now in this 395 00:22:22,310 --> 00:22:20,720 image are really unexplored terrain 396 00:22:24,789 --> 00:22:22,320 they're almost more mysterious than 397 00:22:26,070 --> 00:22:24,799 pluto so why not go and look at this 398 00:22:28,310 --> 00:22:26,080 mysterious terrain right in our own 399 00:22:30,710 --> 00:22:28,320 backyard and finally the moon actually 400 00:22:32,789 --> 00:22:30,720 is a piece of our destiny so for all of 401 00:22:33,990 --> 00:22:32,799 us we want to get back because we think 402 00:22:36,149 --> 00:22:34,000 aspects of the earth history are 403 00:22:37,830 --> 00:22:36,159 recorded in that planet is it true to 404 00:22:40,149 --> 00:22:37,840 say that we actually know more about 405 00:22:42,390 --> 00:22:40,159 mars than we do about our own mood 406 00:22:43,990 --> 00:22:42,400 in terms of mapping absolutely in terms 407 00:22:45,909 --> 00:22:44,000 of understanding the samples we returned 408 00:22:48,950 --> 00:22:45,919 from the moon with apollo no the moon 409 00:22:51,270 --> 00:22:48,960 has that rich textbook in those rocks 410 00:22:53,350 --> 00:22:51,280 and soils that were returned from apollo 411 00:22:55,270 --> 00:22:53,360 so long ago so it's a different story 412 00:22:57,990 --> 00:22:55,280 but so much more to be done at this 413 00:22:59,510 --> 00:22:58,000 moment lro is our gateway excellent so 414 00:23:01,590 --> 00:22:59,520 just tell us a little about a little bit 415 00:23:03,190 --> 00:23:01,600 about what challenges might astronauts 416 00:23:05,510 --> 00:23:03,200 face when they when we go back to the 417 00:23:07,750 --> 00:23:05,520 moon so when we go back to the moon anc 418 00:23:09,029 --> 00:23:07,760 ideally for a sustained presence the 419 00:23:11,190 --> 00:23:09,039 things we need to know are the kind of 420 00:23:13,270 --> 00:23:11,200 things civil engineers plan for 421 00:23:15,909 --> 00:23:13,280 human adaptability to the lunar gravity 422 00:23:18,070 --> 00:23:15,919 and the space radiation the terrain the 423 00:23:19,270 --> 00:23:18,080 lunar regolith the soil this is critical 424 00:23:20,630 --> 00:23:19,280 it's everywhere it's in your boots in 425 00:23:22,390 --> 00:23:20,640 your hands in your hair well not your 426 00:23:24,310 --> 00:23:22,400 hair but it's everywhere 427 00:23:25,909 --> 00:23:24,320 and so we need to look at those things 428 00:23:27,830 --> 00:23:25,919 as if we're going to go and live there 429 00:23:28,950 --> 00:23:27,840 for good this is the kind of environment 430 00:23:30,710 --> 00:23:28,960 we're going to think about and we're 431 00:23:32,789 --> 00:23:30,720 living now on the space station but now 432 00:23:35,190 --> 00:23:32,799 it's on a new world so that's the step 433 00:23:37,350 --> 00:23:35,200 that lro has to pave the way for so 434 00:23:39,270 --> 00:23:37,360 people like you could go to the moon oh 435 00:23:40,310 --> 00:23:39,280 that's well that's pretty exciting so 436 00:23:41,990 --> 00:23:40,320 look just 437 00:23:43,190 --> 00:23:42,000 what do you think i mean now the moon 438 00:23:44,390 --> 00:23:43,200 what's next 439 00:23:45,669 --> 00:23:44,400 what do you think is next i think what's 440 00:23:47,990 --> 00:23:45,679 next is the discoveries that are going 441 00:23:50,390 --> 00:23:48,000 to come from lro this whole new moon 442 00:23:52,149 --> 00:23:50,400 we're ready to see is out there waiting 443 00:23:53,909 --> 00:23:52,159 and this mission is going to capture it 444 00:23:55,510 --> 00:23:53,919 and what that will tell us is how we 445 00:23:57,350 --> 00:23:55,520 should go what we should go and ask 446 00:23:59,269 --> 00:23:57,360 about and once we get people thinking 447 00:24:01,190 --> 00:23:59,279 about and getting back to the moon then 448 00:24:04,310 --> 00:24:01,200 we can look to those farther shores the 449 00:24:06,390 --> 00:24:04,320 harder places mars asteroids wherever we 450 00:24:08,470 --> 00:24:06,400 want to go it's a big universe someone's 451 00:24:10,310 --> 00:24:08,480 got to explore it excellent thank you so 452 00:24:11,909 --> 00:24:10,320 much jim really exciting stuff we 453 00:24:14,630 --> 00:24:11,919 appreciate you stopping by thanks nancy 454 00:25:01,430 --> 00:24:14,640 go lro excellent so let's take another 455 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:09,430 delta v time at 20 percent 456 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:18,149 670 457 00:25:21,029 --> 00:25:19,830 okay to see flight 458 00:26:07,430 --> 00:25:21,039 be insane 459 00:26:12,390 --> 00:26:10,630 hcs hardware play 460 00:26:14,789 --> 00:26:12,400 okay we have confirmation that the burn 461 00:28:00,830 --> 00:26:14,799 is underway we're only 600 kilometers 462 00:28:05,909 --> 00:28:03,590 probably bed plate 463 00:28:33,269 --> 00:28:05,919 thrusters are still nominal 464 00:28:37,269 --> 00:28:35,350 okay the team in the control room is 465 00:28:39,590 --> 00:28:37,279 hard at work now let's take a closer 466 00:28:53,029 --> 00:28:39,600 look at all the teamwork that went into 467 00:28:53,039 --> 00:29:06,549 thirty 468 00:29:11,590 --> 00:29:08,789 the lunar reconnaissance orbiter is a 469 00:29:12,630 --> 00:29:11,600 first step to future missions mars and 470 00:29:15,110 --> 00:29:12,640 beyond 471 00:29:19,029 --> 00:29:15,120 but a lot has to happen before we get 472 00:29:21,590 --> 00:29:19,039 there and one woman plays a key role 473 00:29:23,990 --> 00:29:21,600 i plan how to build a spacecraft every 474 00:29:25,909 --> 00:29:24,000 day we have a large team and we have to 475 00:29:27,110 --> 00:29:25,919 plan every day what everybody's going to 476 00:29:29,510 --> 00:29:27,120 do 477 00:29:31,269 --> 00:29:29,520 on the spacecraft and 478 00:29:33,669 --> 00:29:31,279 so i try to coordinate all those 479 00:29:35,350 --> 00:29:33,679 activities 480 00:29:36,950 --> 00:29:35,360 yeah i have a team of people that help 481 00:29:40,230 --> 00:29:36,960 me out and they 482 00:29:42,710 --> 00:29:40,240 take shifts and we work together to to 483 00:29:44,870 --> 00:29:42,720 make sure that things keep moving 484 00:29:47,350 --> 00:29:44,880 well goddard has the responsibility of 485 00:29:49,269 --> 00:29:47,360 managing the mission and we are also 486 00:29:50,310 --> 00:29:49,279 responsible for building the spacecraft 487 00:29:52,070 --> 00:29:50,320 bus 488 00:29:54,710 --> 00:29:52,080 and integrating the instruments to the 489 00:29:56,070 --> 00:29:54,720 bus and doing the system level test and 490 00:29:58,070 --> 00:29:56,080 integration 491 00:29:59,669 --> 00:29:58,080 and then also doing all the processing 492 00:30:01,190 --> 00:29:59,679 down at the cape 493 00:30:03,830 --> 00:30:01,200 to the launch vehicle 494 00:30:05,269 --> 00:30:03,840 there's chemistry involved there's 495 00:30:08,310 --> 00:30:05,279 getting the right mix of people that 496 00:30:10,389 --> 00:30:08,320 complement each other's skills 497 00:30:13,510 --> 00:30:10,399 and when you have that all together you 498 00:30:16,950 --> 00:30:13,520 can work very efficiently and 499 00:30:18,950 --> 00:30:16,960 and come up with a great product 500 00:30:20,710 --> 00:30:18,960 i think in the amount of time that we 501 00:30:22,630 --> 00:30:20,720 were given that 502 00:30:24,789 --> 00:30:22,640 it's really interesting we've done an 503 00:30:26,870 --> 00:30:24,799 incredible job trying you know getting 504 00:30:29,029 --> 00:30:26,880 this whole spacecraft together 505 00:30:30,950 --> 00:30:29,039 um putting seven instruments which is 506 00:30:31,830 --> 00:30:30,960 not insignificant 507 00:30:43,990 --> 00:30:31,840 to 508 00:30:45,990 --> 00:30:44,000 one woman's leadership and outstanding 509 00:30:47,990 --> 00:30:46,000 teamwork are the building blocks of 510 00:30:49,350 --> 00:30:48,000 nasa's lunar reconnaissance orbiter 511 00:30:51,590 --> 00:30:49,360 mission 512 00:30:59,509 --> 00:30:51,600 go to nasa.gov 513 00:31:03,990 --> 00:31:01,509 well with us now we have dr laurie 514 00:31:06,389 --> 00:31:04,000 leshan goddard's deputy director for 515 00:31:07,350 --> 00:31:06,399 science and technology hi lori good 516 00:31:11,430 --> 00:31:07,360 morning 517 00:31:13,269 --> 00:31:11,440 much work the team has put into this 518 00:31:16,070 --> 00:31:13,279 mission isn't it they really are the 519 00:31:17,590 --> 00:31:16,080 dream team the scattered group that has 520 00:31:19,750 --> 00:31:17,600 put this mission together they're doing 521 00:31:21,669 --> 00:31:19,760 great and the burn's going great where 522 00:31:23,029 --> 00:31:21,679 we just heard we're at about 450 523 00:31:24,789 --> 00:31:23,039 kilometers above the moon so 524 00:31:26,549 --> 00:31:24,799 everything's going nominally we're so 525 00:31:29,110 --> 00:31:26,559 excited to be able to do that 526 00:31:31,029 --> 00:31:29,120 so tell us a little bit um from a 527 00:31:33,590 --> 00:31:31,039 goddard perspective what does it mean to 528 00:31:34,549 --> 00:31:33,600 have such a large role in this lunar 529 00:31:36,470 --> 00:31:34,559 mission 530 00:31:39,029 --> 00:31:36,480 well we just couldn't be more proud to 531 00:31:41,350 --> 00:31:39,039 be blazing the trail as the new explorer 532 00:31:42,630 --> 00:31:41,360 is going back to the moon at goddard and 533 00:31:44,549 --> 00:31:42,640 so 534 00:31:46,789 --> 00:31:44,559 our team has put together a mission 535 00:31:48,230 --> 00:31:46,799 that's going to give us information that 536 00:31:49,909 --> 00:31:48,240 we need to place the trail for humans 537 00:31:52,389 --> 00:31:49,919 we're like that advanced scout that goes 538 00:31:53,909 --> 00:31:52,399 out there and and uh finds all the 539 00:31:55,750 --> 00:31:53,919 hazardous places and the interesting 540 00:31:57,430 --> 00:31:55,760 places to go and we'll report back so 541 00:31:59,269 --> 00:31:57,440 that when the humans come 542 00:32:01,430 --> 00:31:59,279 they'll know exactly where to go and so 543 00:32:04,230 --> 00:32:01,440 to have that role such a critical role 544 00:32:06,070 --> 00:32:04,240 in the mission it's really incredible 545 00:32:07,830 --> 00:32:06,080 well great um tell us a little bit more 546 00:32:09,830 --> 00:32:07,840 about how goddard is prepared for this 547 00:32:11,269 --> 00:32:09,840 incredible mission well you know in many 548 00:32:12,630 --> 00:32:11,279 ways even though this is a robotic 549 00:32:13,990 --> 00:32:12,640 mission and there aren't people on it 550 00:32:16,230 --> 00:32:14,000 it's kind of like sending a member of 551 00:32:18,230 --> 00:32:16,240 your family to the moon for us i mean we 552 00:32:20,149 --> 00:32:18,240 conceived of this mission we designed it 553 00:32:21,669 --> 00:32:20,159 we built it with our own hands here at 554 00:32:23,669 --> 00:32:21,679 goddard space flight center we kind of 555 00:32:25,430 --> 00:32:23,679 brought it to life if you will and now 556 00:32:27,990 --> 00:32:25,440 we've we've sent it on its way out of 557 00:32:30,389 --> 00:32:28,000 the nest to the moon so for us there's a 558 00:32:31,669 --> 00:32:30,399 lot of personal um 559 00:32:33,029 --> 00:32:31,679 involvement in this mission from 560 00:32:33,909 --> 00:32:33,039 hundreds and hundreds of people at the 561 00:32:36,070 --> 00:32:33,919 center 562 00:32:37,830 --> 00:32:36,080 and who have put their time their nights 563 00:32:39,190 --> 00:32:37,840 their weekends many sleepless nights i 564 00:32:40,230 --> 00:32:39,200 know many of them would rather be asleep 565 00:32:41,830 --> 00:32:40,240 right now 566 00:32:43,110 --> 00:32:41,840 and also i want to take the opportunity 567 00:32:45,509 --> 00:32:43,120 while we're talking about the amazing 568 00:32:47,990 --> 00:32:45,519 team to thank the families of all those 569 00:32:49,350 --> 00:32:48,000 team members who along with the people 570 00:32:51,750 --> 00:32:49,360 who have uh 571 00:32:53,269 --> 00:32:51,760 built the mission really helped um 572 00:32:55,750 --> 00:32:53,279 enable it because those people give up 573 00:32:58,549 --> 00:32:55,760 their time and energy too that's true 574 00:32:59,990 --> 00:32:58,559 so um lori as a scientist why do you 575 00:33:02,149 --> 00:33:00,000 think it's important to go back to the 576 00:33:04,630 --> 00:33:02,159 moon well i will tell you as a scientist 577 00:33:06,389 --> 00:33:04,640 there are there are many exciting things 578 00:33:08,389 --> 00:33:06,399 still to be discovered about our moon 579 00:33:10,389 --> 00:33:08,399 it's our nearest planetary neighbor if 580 00:33:13,350 --> 00:33:10,399 you will and it's really going to allow 581 00:33:14,789 --> 00:33:13,360 us to to read the first few chapters of 582 00:33:16,470 --> 00:33:14,799 the history of our solar system which 583 00:33:18,310 --> 00:33:16,480 are kind of wiped out on the earth so 584 00:33:19,669 --> 00:33:18,320 the moon holds the history of the 585 00:33:21,190 --> 00:33:19,679 earliest part of the solar system 586 00:33:22,710 --> 00:33:21,200 frankly better than almost any other 587 00:33:24,870 --> 00:33:22,720 object out there so it's got an 588 00:33:26,630 --> 00:33:24,880 incredible science story to tell but 589 00:33:29,590 --> 00:33:26,640 more than that i think going back to the 590 00:33:30,630 --> 00:33:29,600 moon is about great nations doing great 591 00:33:33,430 --> 00:33:30,640 things 592 00:33:34,870 --> 00:33:33,440 and we have to take on great challenges 593 00:33:35,909 --> 00:33:34,880 as a nation and that's one of the things 594 00:33:38,710 --> 00:33:35,919 that makes 595 00:33:40,389 --> 00:33:38,720 america makes us who we are in addition 596 00:33:42,389 --> 00:33:40,399 i think missions like lro are so 597 00:33:43,509 --> 00:33:42,399 important because they 598 00:33:45,269 --> 00:33:43,519 um 599 00:33:47,750 --> 00:33:45,279 they bring out the best of our spirit 600 00:33:49,509 --> 00:33:47,760 they bring out the most innovative of us 601 00:33:51,190 --> 00:33:49,519 they allow us to work in the high-tech 602 00:33:53,430 --> 00:33:51,200 areas that really help drive our economy 603 00:33:55,269 --> 00:33:53,440 so there's so many reasons to be proud 604 00:33:56,710 --> 00:33:55,279 of this mission not just scientific 605 00:33:59,269 --> 00:33:56,720 although the scientific stuff is great 606 00:34:01,110 --> 00:33:59,279 too well that's great now lori 607 00:34:03,190 --> 00:34:01,120 i mean 608 00:34:04,870 --> 00:34:03,200 tell me a little bit more about you know 609 00:34:06,950 --> 00:34:04,880 the goddard community and then at the 610 00:34:09,270 --> 00:34:06,960 public at large i mean have you noticed 611 00:34:10,629 --> 00:34:09,280 that people are really excited about our 612 00:34:12,310 --> 00:34:10,639 opportunity to go back to the moon with 613 00:34:14,550 --> 00:34:12,320 lro yeah of course we hear goddard 614 00:34:16,389 --> 00:34:14,560 incredibly excited and given you know we 615 00:34:17,829 --> 00:34:16,399 conceived of the mission five years ago 616 00:34:19,349 --> 00:34:17,839 we launched it five days ago and you 617 00:34:21,669 --> 00:34:19,359 know five minutes ago we got to the moon 618 00:34:22,710 --> 00:34:21,679 so it's very exciting for all of us 619 00:34:24,230 --> 00:34:22,720 but the members of the public have 620 00:34:25,270 --> 00:34:24,240 gotten really excited as well you know 621 00:34:26,710 --> 00:34:25,280 we had 622 00:34:28,790 --> 00:34:26,720 an opportunity for people to be able to 623 00:34:30,629 --> 00:34:28,800 send their names to the moon on a chip 624 00:34:32,310 --> 00:34:30,639 that's actually right now going into 625 00:34:35,430 --> 00:34:32,320 orbit around the moon with lro we had 626 00:34:37,270 --> 00:34:35,440 over a million people sign up so 627 00:34:39,190 --> 00:34:37,280 absolutely amazing 628 00:34:40,950 --> 00:34:39,200 engagement of the public in this mission 629 00:34:42,310 --> 00:34:40,960 and we ain't seen nothing yet because 630 00:34:44,230 --> 00:34:42,320 when those pictures start coming down 631 00:34:45,829 --> 00:34:44,240 when that information starts coming back 632 00:34:47,430 --> 00:34:45,839 it's going to really transform the way 633 00:34:49,510 --> 00:34:47,440 we see the moon and it's going to be 634 00:34:51,510 --> 00:34:49,520 very exciting that's amazing stuff now 635 00:34:56,790 --> 00:34:51,520 let's take a little look at that said 636 00:35:00,829 --> 00:34:58,710 they all look nominal 637 00:35:05,750 --> 00:35:00,839 on december 17 638 00:35:10,150 --> 00:35:05,760 1972 apollo 17 left the moon 639 00:35:11,910 --> 00:35:10,160 almost 36 years later nasa is going back 640 00:35:14,069 --> 00:35:11,920 are you 641 00:35:32,069 --> 00:35:14,079 i'm going 642 00:35:34,870 --> 00:35:32,079 try and stop me 643 00:35:37,589 --> 00:35:34,880 wouldn't miss it 644 00:35:50,870 --> 00:35:37,599 i'm going are you sure where do i sign 645 00:35:54,630 --> 00:35:53,109 okay thanks again lori for joining us 646 00:36:03,910 --> 00:35:54,640 and we're going to take another look at 647 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:13,750 before we see an eclipse 648 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:18,150 it's approximately about five days 649 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:45,430 dropping 650 00:36:54,069 --> 00:36:48,069 delta v time at fifty percent 651 00:36:54,079 --> 00:37:02,870 you need to see flight 652 00:37:07,430 --> 00:37:06,230 flight did you copy uh no i didn't 653 00:37:09,270 --> 00:37:07,440 i was just saying everything still looks 654 00:37:11,910 --> 00:37:09,280 normal here duty cycles are matching our 655 00:38:05,829 --> 00:37:11,920 predictions based on the trends 656 00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:07,589 flight we have stable capture about the 657 00:38:43,510 --> 00:38:08,880 moon 658 00:39:41,910 --> 00:38:46,550 pressures all look normal 659 00:39:45,750 --> 00:39:43,670 tina's heat plate 660 00:39:48,230 --> 00:39:45,760 fancy 661 00:39:51,190 --> 00:39:48,240 completely look nominal 662 00:39:53,190 --> 00:39:51,200 yeah it looks good 663 00:40:00,310 --> 00:39:53,200 wait fido we've reached perry absence at 664 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:26,790 we have anything on the tracking 665 00:40:31,349 --> 00:40:28,550 okay 666 00:40:34,230 --> 00:40:31,359 we have with us right now dr mike wergot 667 00:40:35,910 --> 00:40:34,240 nasa's chief lunar scientist so mike can 668 00:40:37,910 --> 00:40:35,920 you just give us an update on where we 669 00:40:39,750 --> 00:40:37,920 are with the burn well i'll tell you 670 00:40:41,750 --> 00:40:39,760 this is about to be time we just 671 00:40:43,829 --> 00:40:41,760 received some of the most terrific news 672 00:40:46,069 --> 00:40:43,839 that we've been waiting for uh the 673 00:40:48,309 --> 00:40:46,079 engines have been burning now for 674 00:40:49,589 --> 00:40:48,319 uh about 15 or 20 minutes and we just 675 00:40:51,030 --> 00:40:49,599 received word 676 00:40:53,030 --> 00:40:51,040 burning long enough and we've been 677 00:40:55,910 --> 00:40:53,040 effective enough in those burns that 678 00:40:57,270 --> 00:40:55,920 we've been captured stably by the moon 679 00:40:58,790 --> 00:40:57,280 we're there 680 00:41:02,470 --> 00:40:58,800 now we're going to continue to burn so 681 00:41:05,030 --> 00:41:02,480 that we get the right orbit that we can 682 00:41:06,710 --> 00:41:05,040 then maneuver into and start to check 683 00:41:08,470 --> 00:41:06,720 out the spacecraft and start to check 684 00:41:10,069 --> 00:41:08,480 out the the instruments in the next 685 00:41:11,910 --> 00:41:10,079 couple of days well that's just great 686 00:41:14,150 --> 00:41:11,920 news so mike just tell us a little bit 687 00:41:16,630 --> 00:41:14,160 how do you feel at this moment um as 688 00:41:18,470 --> 00:41:16,640 we've begun nasa's next step to go back 689 00:41:21,030 --> 00:41:18,480 to well you know it's funny i was 690 00:41:23,510 --> 00:41:21,040 driving in this morning and it's just so 691 00:41:26,630 --> 00:41:23,520 calm and so quiet and so peaceful 692 00:41:29,349 --> 00:41:26,640 outside and yet in here the the 693 00:41:32,309 --> 00:41:29,359 excitement is just palpable uh you've 694 00:41:34,710 --> 00:41:32,319 had these teams working for years now 695 00:41:36,630 --> 00:41:34,720 for this day this is one of the key and 696 00:41:39,349 --> 00:41:36,640 critical uh 697 00:41:41,270 --> 00:41:39,359 uh events that has to occur for for us 698 00:41:42,710 --> 00:41:41,280 to have a successful mission and it 699 00:41:45,030 --> 00:41:42,720 looks like we're well along the way to 700 00:41:47,670 --> 00:41:45,040 be being able to do that excellent so 701 00:41:50,309 --> 00:41:47,680 mike you know lro is nasa's 702 00:41:52,230 --> 00:41:50,319 next lunar mission i've asked you know 703 00:41:53,990 --> 00:41:52,240 all the scientists have stopped by this 704 00:41:55,589 --> 00:41:54,000 morning to tell us you know why do we 705 00:41:56,790 --> 00:41:55,599 need to go back 706 00:41:58,870 --> 00:41:56,800 well 707 00:42:00,230 --> 00:41:58,880 going back to the moon and we were 708 00:42:02,790 --> 00:42:00,240 talking to jim garvin a little bit 709 00:42:05,349 --> 00:42:02,800 earlier and 710 00:42:06,309 --> 00:42:05,359 going back we really need to be able to 711 00:42:09,349 --> 00:42:06,319 learn 712 00:42:11,510 --> 00:42:09,359 the next steps on how to live and work 713 00:42:13,349 --> 00:42:11,520 and be productive on another planet 714 00:42:15,030 --> 00:42:13,359 uh when 715 00:42:17,510 --> 00:42:15,040 we were there for apollo 716 00:42:20,390 --> 00:42:17,520 they were unbelievably successful but it 717 00:42:22,150 --> 00:42:20,400 was only for a few days at a time 718 00:42:23,829 --> 00:42:22,160 being able to live and work on another 719 00:42:25,990 --> 00:42:23,839 planetary surface is going to prepare us 720 00:42:27,589 --> 00:42:26,000 to go beyond the moon to mars the 721 00:42:28,550 --> 00:42:27,599 asteroids and the rest of the solar 722 00:42:29,910 --> 00:42:28,560 system 723 00:42:32,309 --> 00:42:29,920 well 724 00:42:34,309 --> 00:42:32,319 lro is the first mission in nasa's 725 00:42:36,470 --> 00:42:34,319 exploration systems mission directorate 726 00:42:37,589 --> 00:42:36,480 so can you just explain to the audience 727 00:42:39,750 --> 00:42:37,599 you know a little bit more about 728 00:42:42,470 --> 00:42:39,760 exploration systems and then 729 00:42:44,790 --> 00:42:42,480 lro's role in it oh sure uh 730 00:42:45,829 --> 00:42:44,800 exploration systems has been given the 731 00:42:48,390 --> 00:42:45,839 job 732 00:42:49,750 --> 00:42:48,400 to develop the equipment and the 733 00:42:51,910 --> 00:42:49,760 techniques and 734 00:42:53,349 --> 00:42:51,920 to be able to take us back to the moon 735 00:42:57,349 --> 00:42:53,359 so that we can be 736 00:43:00,710 --> 00:42:57,359 uh effective we can explore we can 737 00:43:02,630 --> 00:43:00,720 learn to live and work on another planet 738 00:43:05,589 --> 00:43:02,640 we're going to be able to develop the 739 00:43:08,230 --> 00:43:05,599 the the capabilities to get us there all 740 00:43:10,630 --> 00:43:08,240 of the equipment to allow us to to live 741 00:43:13,109 --> 00:43:10,640 there live there safely 742 00:43:15,430 --> 00:43:13,119 and to maneuver around the moon to to 743 00:43:16,950 --> 00:43:15,440 learn about the moon as well as how to 744 00:43:18,470 --> 00:43:16,960 um 745 00:43:19,750 --> 00:43:18,480 develop those kinds of techniques we're 746 00:43:21,750 --> 00:43:19,760 going to be able to 747 00:43:23,990 --> 00:43:21,760 uh 748 00:43:25,349 --> 00:43:24,000 to we're going to need to explore beyond 749 00:43:28,470 --> 00:43:25,359 beyond the moon 750 00:43:30,790 --> 00:43:28,480 and lro's role in it is really pivotal 751 00:43:32,230 --> 00:43:30,800 uh if we were going to go on a summer 752 00:43:34,150 --> 00:43:32,240 vacation one of the first things we'd 753 00:43:36,870 --> 00:43:34,160 want to do is go out and get the best 754 00:43:39,829 --> 00:43:36,880 map that we possibly could well lro is 755 00:43:42,069 --> 00:43:39,839 going to provide a full atlas of all 756 00:43:43,990 --> 00:43:42,079 kinds of information about the moon that 757 00:43:45,990 --> 00:43:44,000 we're going to need to first of all 758 00:43:48,870 --> 00:43:46,000 develop that equipment so that it so 759 00:43:51,750 --> 00:43:48,880 that it works well and works effectively 760 00:43:52,630 --> 00:43:51,760 as well as to find those places on the 761 00:43:54,950 --> 00:43:52,640 moon 762 00:43:57,109 --> 00:43:54,960 that where we can really understand not 763 00:43:58,870 --> 00:43:57,119 just the evolution of the moon but 764 00:44:02,550 --> 00:43:58,880 really 765 00:44:04,230 --> 00:44:02,560 witness plate to 766 00:44:06,870 --> 00:44:04,240 uh the development of the whole solar 767 00:44:08,390 --> 00:44:06,880 system well you know mike we know that 768 00:44:10,630 --> 00:44:08,400 you know lro is not gonna be the only 769 00:44:12,390 --> 00:44:10,640 spacecraft orbiting the moon um there 770 00:44:13,910 --> 00:44:12,400 seems to be this renewed interest in the 771 00:44:15,030 --> 00:44:13,920 moon internationally why do you think 772 00:44:17,190 --> 00:44:15,040 that's so 773 00:44:19,589 --> 00:44:17,200 well from the scientists point of view 774 00:44:22,630 --> 00:44:19,599 that interest has always been there we 775 00:44:24,710 --> 00:44:22,640 just now have the opportunities from a 776 00:44:28,230 --> 00:44:24,720 number of nations 777 00:44:31,190 --> 00:44:28,240 for that as a next step in exploration 778 00:44:33,589 --> 00:44:31,200 and science the european space agency's 779 00:44:35,910 --> 00:44:33,599 smart one mission was the little 780 00:44:37,829 --> 00:44:35,920 spacecraft that could 781 00:44:39,589 --> 00:44:37,839 developed and demonstrated new 782 00:44:41,510 --> 00:44:39,599 technologies and at the same time made 783 00:44:43,349 --> 00:44:41,520 measurements of the moon that hadn't 784 00:44:45,430 --> 00:44:43,359 been made before 785 00:44:47,430 --> 00:44:45,440 our colleagues from japan 786 00:44:51,270 --> 00:44:47,440 have launched 787 00:44:53,430 --> 00:44:51,280 selenae and later renamed kaguya and it 788 00:44:56,550 --> 00:44:53,440 was an unbelievably successful mission 789 00:44:58,870 --> 00:44:56,560 and just ended ended recently 790 00:45:00,550 --> 00:44:58,880 china has launched chongling one and is 791 00:45:04,470 --> 00:45:00,560 still in orbit around the moon at around 792 00:45:07,670 --> 00:45:04,480 the 200 kilometer uh altitude and 793 00:45:11,349 --> 00:45:07,680 our colleagues in in india uh with the 794 00:45:13,190 --> 00:45:11,359 chandrayaan one mission we have um 795 00:45:15,270 --> 00:45:13,200 two u.s instruments on board that 796 00:45:19,030 --> 00:45:15,280 mission making measurements that are 797 00:45:21,910 --> 00:45:19,040 helping both lro as well as our 798 00:45:24,069 --> 00:45:21,920 companion spacecraft lcross and lro 799 00:45:25,910 --> 00:45:24,079 itself has 800 00:45:28,630 --> 00:45:25,920 a lunar neutron 801 00:45:30,069 --> 00:45:28,640 exploration neutron detector that 802 00:45:32,550 --> 00:45:30,079 was provided by 803 00:45:35,030 --> 00:45:32,560 by russia with an extraordinary team 804 00:45:37,589 --> 00:45:35,040 from the institute for space research 805 00:45:39,030 --> 00:45:37,599 so one final question mike 806 00:45:40,790 --> 00:45:39,040 what does lro mean what do you think 807 00:45:42,710 --> 00:45:40,800 ella is going to mean for the future 808 00:45:44,230 --> 00:45:42,720 space exploration well 809 00:45:47,349 --> 00:45:44,240 i really think that 810 00:45:49,750 --> 00:45:47,359 lro and the way in which the team work 811 00:45:51,829 --> 00:45:49,760 together and so quickly and so 812 00:45:53,109 --> 00:45:51,839 effectively is a real model for how 813 00:45:56,230 --> 00:45:53,119 we're going to 814 00:45:59,270 --> 00:45:56,240 explore space in in the future uh the 815 00:46:01,270 --> 00:45:59,280 the mission had a an aggressive timeline 816 00:46:03,750 --> 00:46:01,280 we have a great team 817 00:46:05,829 --> 00:46:03,760 and that team worked together and was 818 00:46:06,630 --> 00:46:05,839 unbelievably flexible to 819 00:46:08,069 --> 00:46:06,640 uh 820 00:46:10,470 --> 00:46:08,079 take the little bumps in the road that 821 00:46:12,390 --> 00:46:10,480 show that show up and be able to respond 822 00:46:14,710 --> 00:46:12,400 to those and ended up producing a 823 00:46:16,470 --> 00:46:14,720 spacecraft that right now is in orbit 824 00:46:18,470 --> 00:46:16,480 around the moon excellent well thank you 825 00:46:20,870 --> 00:46:18,480 mike for stopping by i really appreciate 826 00:46:22,230 --> 00:46:20,880 it oh absolutely my pleasure okay now 827 00:47:09,349 --> 00:46:22,240 let's take another look inside the 828 00:47:09,359 --> 00:47:45,750 copy that 10 hours 829 00:47:48,870 --> 00:47:47,030 everything looks good we're expecting 830 00:47:53,829 --> 00:47:48,880 at2 to uh 831 00:47:53,839 --> 00:48:22,630 okay copy 832 00:48:26,069 --> 00:48:24,309 delta v time at eighty percent for 833 00:49:00,069 --> 00:48:26,079 listening 834 00:49:05,750 --> 00:49:02,549 okay let's take another look at one of 835 00:49:11,670 --> 00:49:05,760 lro's videos lro scouts for safe landing 836 00:49:15,829 --> 00:49:13,109 one of the lunar reconnaissance 837 00:49:18,230 --> 00:49:15,839 orbiter's primary objectives is to scout 838 00:49:21,030 --> 00:49:18,240 safe landing sites for future manned and 839 00:49:22,230 --> 00:49:21,040 robotic missions to the moon 840 00:49:24,230 --> 00:49:22,240 to do so 841 00:49:26,870 --> 00:49:24,240 lro's suite of instruments work 842 00:49:28,710 --> 00:49:26,880 collectively to build a detailed picture 843 00:49:33,190 --> 00:49:28,720 of the surface 844 00:49:38,710 --> 00:49:35,349 the first thing we want to assess is the 845 00:49:41,829 --> 00:49:38,720 topography of the lunar terrain 846 00:49:44,710 --> 00:49:41,839 lro uses an instrument called lola that 847 00:49:46,630 --> 00:49:44,720 bounces laser pulses off of the surface 848 00:49:49,750 --> 00:49:46,640 to measure its height 849 00:49:52,549 --> 00:49:49,760 the resulting map shows steep slopes 850 00:49:54,710 --> 00:49:52,559 rough terrain and gives a general idea 851 00:49:57,670 --> 00:49:54,720 of what areas might be level enough to 852 00:49:59,349 --> 00:49:57,680 provide safe landing sites shown here in 853 00:50:02,150 --> 00:49:59,359 green 854 00:50:04,470 --> 00:50:02,160 lro's next step is to create a 855 00:50:07,270 --> 00:50:04,480 temperature map of the surface using an 856 00:50:09,510 --> 00:50:07,280 instrument called diviner temperatures 857 00:50:12,309 --> 00:50:09,520 change more slowly in areas with lots of 858 00:50:14,870 --> 00:50:12,319 loose materials so by looking at thermal 859 00:50:17,109 --> 00:50:14,880 maps we can eliminate areas for landing 860 00:50:18,549 --> 00:50:17,119 that may have a dangerous abundance of 861 00:50:21,270 --> 00:50:18,559 rocks 862 00:50:23,670 --> 00:50:21,280 the regions in yellow represent places 863 00:50:26,790 --> 00:50:23,680 where the thermal signatures indicate 864 00:50:29,190 --> 00:50:26,800 they are unsafe landing sites 865 00:50:31,670 --> 00:50:29,200 lastly we want to double check and 866 00:50:34,630 --> 00:50:31,680 refine our map even further 867 00:50:37,109 --> 00:50:34,640 lro does this with a set of cameras that 868 00:50:39,190 --> 00:50:37,119 make detailed pictures of the surface 869 00:50:41,510 --> 00:50:39,200 looking closely at these images we can 870 00:50:43,109 --> 00:50:41,520 actually pick out individual boulders 871 00:50:45,270 --> 00:50:43,119 and craters 872 00:50:48,150 --> 00:50:45,280 these will clearly be hazardous places 873 00:50:51,670 --> 00:50:48,160 to land so we've labeled them red and 874 00:50:54,150 --> 00:50:51,680 removed them from our safe areas 875 00:50:57,109 --> 00:50:54,160 at this point any sites that are left 876 00:51:00,950 --> 00:50:57,119 green have been checked and rechecked to 877 00:51:03,829 --> 00:51:00,960 be level smooth and free from hazards 878 00:51:07,349 --> 00:51:03,839 based on lro scouting we would consider 879 00:51:18,230 --> 00:51:07,359 these safe locations to land 880 00:51:22,390 --> 00:51:20,150 it should be noted that while it is 881 00:51:23,829 --> 00:51:22,400 absolutely essential to find safe 882 00:51:26,950 --> 00:51:23,839 landing sites 883 00:51:29,430 --> 00:51:26,960 a safe place to land is not necessarily 884 00:51:31,510 --> 00:51:29,440 an interesting place to land 885 00:51:32,870 --> 00:51:31,520 when it comes time to pick the best 886 00:51:35,349 --> 00:51:32,880 landing sites 887 00:51:39,430 --> 00:51:35,359 many other factors and measurements will 888 00:51:43,430 --> 00:51:41,670 as astronauts make their descent toward 889 00:51:46,470 --> 00:51:43,440 the lunar surface late in the next 890 00:51:49,670 --> 00:51:46,480 decade they can thank nasa's small robot 891 00:51:58,870 --> 00:51:49,680 scout lro for showing them the safest 892 00:52:03,670 --> 00:52:01,349 okay we have with us 893 00:52:06,230 --> 00:52:03,680 dr rich vondrack the lro project 894 00:52:08,150 --> 00:52:06,240 scientist so which can you just give us 895 00:52:11,109 --> 00:52:08,160 another update on where we are 896 00:52:13,270 --> 00:52:11,119 well we're uh right now if the burn 897 00:52:15,910 --> 00:52:13,280 stopped we'd be in a weekly captured 898 00:52:18,470 --> 00:52:15,920 orbit uh but the good news is we only 899 00:52:20,710 --> 00:52:18,480 have about six more minutes to go and at 900 00:52:23,270 --> 00:52:20,720 that point we'll be uh finished with our 901 00:52:25,109 --> 00:52:23,280 orbit for today and uh getting ready 902 00:52:27,990 --> 00:52:25,119 over the next few days to move into our 903 00:52:30,790 --> 00:52:28,000 commissioning orbit excellent so um rich 904 00:52:33,190 --> 00:52:30,800 as the lro project scientist what's your 905 00:52:35,829 --> 00:52:33,200 role in this in this incredible lunar 906 00:52:37,990 --> 00:52:35,839 mission yeah i i have the great job of 907 00:52:40,710 --> 00:52:38,000 working with the seven uh instrument 908 00:52:44,950 --> 00:52:40,720 teams uh with the project here at 909 00:52:46,710 --> 00:52:44,960 goddard and then also with the uh 910 00:52:49,270 --> 00:52:46,720 instrument uh builders and the 911 00:52:52,390 --> 00:52:49,280 headquarters folks uh to work on the 912 00:52:54,950 --> 00:52:52,400 instruments uh this shows the uh crater 913 00:52:57,430 --> 00:52:54,960 instrument our radiation sensor uh the 914 00:53:00,309 --> 00:52:57,440 lunar radiometer experiment that'll 915 00:53:03,270 --> 00:53:00,319 measure the temperature on the moon our 916 00:53:04,390 --> 00:53:03,280 5 beam laser altimeter 917 00:53:08,710 --> 00:53:04,400 the 918 00:53:11,670 --> 00:53:08,720 which will make 919 00:53:14,309 --> 00:53:11,680 very precise images of the moon a uv 920 00:53:17,270 --> 00:53:14,319 spectrometer to search for water frost 921 00:53:19,670 --> 00:53:17,280 in the polar regions and then a neutron 922 00:53:22,790 --> 00:53:19,680 detector from russia that will look for 923 00:53:25,349 --> 00:53:22,800 hydrogen at the poles and then finally 924 00:53:27,589 --> 00:53:25,359 our technology demonstrator 925 00:53:28,630 --> 00:53:27,599 an advanced synthetic aperture radar 926 00:53:30,710 --> 00:53:28,640 system 927 00:53:33,270 --> 00:53:30,720 and this shows the spacecraft here at 928 00:53:35,430 --> 00:53:33,280 goddard in this final testing 929 00:53:37,190 --> 00:53:35,440 so rich tell me a little bit how are 930 00:53:39,349 --> 00:53:37,200 these measurements that you just talked 931 00:53:41,990 --> 00:53:39,359 about through the other video 932 00:53:43,750 --> 00:53:42,000 how will they aid humans in the return 933 00:53:45,670 --> 00:53:43,760 to the moon especially for extended 934 00:53:48,309 --> 00:53:45,680 periods of time right 935 00:53:51,510 --> 00:53:48,319 in order to return safely to the moon we 936 00:53:53,030 --> 00:53:51,520 have to identify a level terrain 937 00:53:54,710 --> 00:53:53,040 our five beam 938 00:53:57,910 --> 00:53:54,720 laser altimeter 939 00:54:00,950 --> 00:53:57,920 will measure precisely the unevenness of 940 00:54:02,790 --> 00:54:00,960 the terrain and identify here in green 941 00:54:04,630 --> 00:54:02,800 safe landing sites 942 00:54:06,470 --> 00:54:04,640 we look at the temperature of the moon 943 00:54:08,870 --> 00:54:06,480 and from the temperature variation we 944 00:54:12,150 --> 00:54:08,880 can tell rock abundances and then 945 00:54:15,190 --> 00:54:12,160 finally our camera system is able to 946 00:54:18,230 --> 00:54:15,200 measure objects that are only a few feet 947 00:54:20,950 --> 00:54:18,240 in diameter and find small craters and 948 00:54:22,790 --> 00:54:20,960 by combining all of this information 949 00:54:25,430 --> 00:54:22,800 we'll be able to tell 950 00:54:28,230 --> 00:54:25,440 where it is safe for explorers to land 951 00:54:29,349 --> 00:54:28,240 here shown in green and then after they 952 00:54:31,990 --> 00:54:29,359 land there 953 00:54:34,069 --> 00:54:32,000 they can explore the new nearby regions 954 00:54:35,910 --> 00:54:34,079 so rich tell us a little bit more about 955 00:54:37,510 --> 00:54:35,920 what resources you're hoping to find on 956 00:54:40,470 --> 00:54:37,520 the moon you know searching for 957 00:54:43,030 --> 00:54:40,480 resources is a very important goal the 958 00:54:46,309 --> 00:54:43,040 one resource we know that is on the moon 959 00:54:49,109 --> 00:54:46,319 is uh nearly continuous sunlight 960 00:54:50,390 --> 00:54:49,119 when explorers land in the uh pull in 961 00:54:53,589 --> 00:54:50,400 the equator 962 00:54:56,230 --> 00:54:53,599 they're faced with two weeks of 963 00:54:59,270 --> 00:54:56,240 sunlight and two weeks of darkness 964 00:55:01,910 --> 00:54:59,280 this video here shows the normal a 965 00:55:04,150 --> 00:55:01,920 variation of sunlight on the moon the 966 00:55:06,950 --> 00:55:04,160 moon rotates in one month 967 00:55:09,109 --> 00:55:06,960 but here at the poles uh we see that 968 00:55:11,829 --> 00:55:09,119 there are regions that are 969 00:55:12,870 --> 00:55:11,839 high elevations like hills or small 970 00:55:15,829 --> 00:55:12,880 mountains 971 00:55:18,710 --> 00:55:15,839 where the sun shines nearly all the time 972 00:55:21,190 --> 00:55:18,720 and uh explorers can use this sunlight 973 00:55:22,150 --> 00:55:21,200 as a source of electric power and of 974 00:55:24,390 --> 00:55:22,160 warmth 975 00:55:26,470 --> 00:55:24,400 to survive for longer periods than they 976 00:55:29,670 --> 00:55:26,480 could at the equator 977 00:55:32,870 --> 00:55:29,680 also at the poles we see that there are 978 00:55:36,069 --> 00:55:32,880 permanently shadowed regions the bottoms 979 00:55:37,430 --> 00:55:36,079 of craters that get very very cold here 980 00:55:39,829 --> 00:55:37,440 shown in blue 981 00:55:41,829 --> 00:55:39,839 and we think that over the course of the 982 00:55:44,950 --> 00:55:41,839 last 2 billion years 983 00:55:47,910 --> 00:55:44,960 water and other volatiles on the moon 984 00:55:50,309 --> 00:55:47,920 may have settled here and then uh 985 00:55:52,150 --> 00:55:50,319 they've condensed and they can be used 986 00:55:54,230 --> 00:55:52,160 uh as a resource 987 00:55:56,230 --> 00:55:54,240 for not only human consumption but also 988 00:55:58,230 --> 00:55:56,240 for rocket fuel well that's just great i 989 00:56:00,230 --> 00:55:58,240 think i just heard that we're about 20 990 00:56:03,190 --> 00:56:00,240 seconds from the uh from the end of the 991 00:56:04,470 --> 00:56:03,200 burn so very important milestone so just 992 00:56:05,910 --> 00:56:04,480 tell us are you 993 00:56:07,430 --> 00:56:05,920 i mean hearing that are you really 994 00:56:10,870 --> 00:56:07,440 excited to learn what are you what are 995 00:56:13,829 --> 00:56:10,880 you hoping to learn from lro uh lro is 996 00:56:14,789 --> 00:56:13,839 going to give us an atlas of the moon 997 00:56:17,829 --> 00:56:14,799 it'll 998 00:56:19,750 --> 00:56:17,839 start to unlock the secrets of the moon 999 00:56:21,670 --> 00:56:19,760 and there are many interesting places on 1000 00:56:24,309 --> 00:56:21,680 the moon but i i personally am most 1001 00:56:27,190 --> 00:56:24,319 excited about what we'll learn about the 1002 00:56:30,549 --> 00:56:27,200 polar regions the uh polar regions are 1003 00:56:31,589 --> 00:56:30,559 the terra incognita 1004 00:56:33,030 --> 00:56:31,599 and 1005 00:56:35,349 --> 00:56:33,040 we think that those are going to be 1006 00:56:37,670 --> 00:56:35,359 important destinations and we're very 1007 00:56:40,069 --> 00:56:37,680 excited about what we'll learn there 1008 00:56:41,750 --> 00:56:40,079 and uh now they're just telling stations 1009 00:56:44,630 --> 00:56:41,760 it's a split congratulations on a 1010 00:56:59,990 --> 00:56:44,640 successful lli lrl's returned nasa to 1011 00:57:00,000 --> 00:57:13,829 foreign 1012 00:57:18,150 --> 00:57:15,829 okay we're really excited here in the 1013 00:57:19,990 --> 00:57:18,160 lunar uh reconnaissance orbiter mission 1014 00:57:23,270 --> 00:57:20,000 operations center we have just been 1015 00:57:25,510 --> 00:57:23,280 captured by the moon and we are at our 1016 00:57:27,589 --> 00:57:25,520 what 30 by 216 1017 00:57:29,750 --> 00:57:27,599 uh we're a little bit higher than that 1018 00:57:32,390 --> 00:57:29,760 we're going to trim the orbit over the 1019 00:57:34,870 --> 00:57:32,400 next few days but the good news is we 1020 00:57:35,910 --> 00:57:34,880 are in lunar orbit we're not going past 1021 00:57:38,549 --> 00:57:35,920 the moon 1022 00:57:41,829 --> 00:57:38,559 we're there to stay we're ready to start 1023 00:57:44,230 --> 00:57:41,839 doing our checkout of the instruments 1024 00:57:46,789 --> 00:57:44,240 over the next few days we'll be turning 1025 00:57:49,030 --> 00:57:46,799 on the instruments and we hope to make 1026 00:58:04,630 --> 00:57:49,040 data available in images as soon as we 1027 00:58:04,640 --> 00:58:13,109 go ahead and turn the cap heaters off 1028 00:58:16,069 --> 00:58:14,710 um 1029 00:58:21,430 --> 00:58:16,079 they want to do this congratulations i 1030 00:58:36,710 --> 00:58:23,270 because questions was so much talking 1031 00:58:36,720 --> 00:58:57,430 um 1032 00:59:02,470 --> 00:58:59,589 okay i have one more question for him 1033 00:59:32,150 --> 00:59:02,480 that i want to keep okay okay 1034 00:59:32,160 --> 00:59:52,630 go ahead and disable presser firing 1035 00:59:56,630 --> 00:59:54,950 okay as we see all the excitement going 1036 00:59:58,150 --> 00:59:56,640 on in the control room i have one final 1037 00:59:59,910 --> 00:59:58,160 question for you rich 1038 01:00:01,990 --> 00:59:59,920 when will we be able to see the images 1039 01:00:03,990 --> 01:00:02,000 from the lro spacecraft now that we're 1040 01:00:06,549 --> 01:00:04,000 safely in orbit around the moon yes now 1041 01:00:09,190 --> 01:00:06,559 that we're there we we uh start the job 1042 01:00:11,349 --> 01:00:09,200 of turning on and calibrating all of the 1043 01:00:14,870 --> 01:00:11,359 instruments on lro 1044 01:00:17,109 --> 01:00:14,880 we hope to have uh the camera operating 1045 01:00:19,990 --> 01:00:17,119 in the next couple of weeks and then we 1046 01:00:21,750 --> 01:00:20,000 as soon as we get some images from our 1047 01:00:23,109 --> 01:00:21,760 camera we'll make them available to the 1048 01:00:25,510 --> 01:00:23,119 public 1049 01:00:27,430 --> 01:00:25,520 the mission continues uh doing the 1050 01:00:29,430 --> 01:00:27,440 checkout of the instruments for about 1051 01:00:31,910 --> 01:00:29,440 the next six to eight weeks and then in 1052 01:00:34,710 --> 01:00:31,920 august we move into our normal mapping 1053 01:00:36,470 --> 01:00:34,720 uh orbit planet oh great congratulations 1054 01:00:44,069 --> 01:00:36,480 thank you very much this is wonderful 1055 01:00:48,549 --> 01:00:46,150 and obsolete 1056 01:00:51,349 --> 01:00:48,559 go ahead and close the hpl vivo 1057 01:00:51,359 --> 01:00:58,150 primary 1058 01:01:05,510 --> 01:01:00,150 you want to leave the pdu load services 1059 01:01:05,520 --> 01:01:59,670 you can go in and turn them off 1060 01:02:04,870 --> 01:02:02,309 okay we have with us craig tully the lro 1061 01:02:06,789 --> 01:02:04,880 project manager so craig can you confirm 1062 01:02:10,309 --> 01:02:06,799 that lro is safely in orbit around the 1063 01:02:12,230 --> 01:02:10,319 moon i sure i certainly can um as the 1064 01:02:14,390 --> 01:02:12,240 last commentator said we reached into 1065 01:02:16,870 --> 01:02:14,400 our orbit we're in an orbit that's about 1066 01:02:19,270 --> 01:02:16,880 200 by 3 000. 1067 01:02:20,549 --> 01:02:19,280 first initial orbit 1068 01:02:22,230 --> 01:02:20,559 and the tracking already shows that 1069 01:02:24,710 --> 01:02:22,240 we're essentially where we plan to be 1070 01:02:26,309 --> 01:02:24,720 we're at the moon so just personally how 1071 01:02:27,910 --> 01:02:26,319 do you think obviously you're excited 1072 01:02:29,589 --> 01:02:27,920 because you've reached 1073 01:02:33,270 --> 01:02:29,599 a goal but how do you think the loi 1074 01:02:34,950 --> 01:02:33,280 event went overall um the yellow it went 1075 01:02:36,789 --> 01:02:34,960 like clockwork 1076 01:02:38,309 --> 01:02:36,799 you know with a mission like this we 1077 01:02:40,390 --> 01:02:38,319 spent literally 1078 01:02:41,910 --> 01:02:40,400 years and certainly the last year 1079 01:02:44,150 --> 01:02:41,920 practicing for every possible 1080 01:02:46,710 --> 01:02:44,160 contingency and being ready for this 1081 01:02:49,349 --> 01:02:46,720 in the end it went exactly as planned 1082 01:02:51,190 --> 01:02:49,359 well great now that elroy has 1083 01:02:53,430 --> 01:02:51,200 finished this critical 1084 01:02:54,710 --> 01:02:53,440 first burn what's next in the timeline 1085 01:02:56,630 --> 01:02:54,720 for the mission 1086 01:02:58,789 --> 01:02:56,640 what we do next is even as we speak 1087 01:03:00,470 --> 01:02:58,799 what's going on is we're putting the 1088 01:03:01,910 --> 01:03:00,480 spacecraft back in the configuration 1089 01:03:03,589 --> 01:03:01,920 that essentially it was in as we flew to 1090 01:03:05,910 --> 01:03:03,599 the moon where we're repointing our high 1091 01:03:07,750 --> 01:03:05,920 gain antenna dish to the earth to erase 1092 01:03:09,270 --> 01:03:07,760 our data rate we're putting it back in 1093 01:03:11,349 --> 01:03:09,280 the in the mode that it's going to fly 1094 01:03:12,870 --> 01:03:11,359 in this orbit and that after we get in 1095 01:03:14,549 --> 01:03:12,880 that mode we'll begin the work because 1096 01:03:16,950 --> 01:03:14,559 this was the first and the most critical 1097 01:03:18,789 --> 01:03:16,960 burn loi one we call that lunar orbit 1098 01:03:21,510 --> 01:03:18,799 insertion but we have four more to do 1099 01:03:23,910 --> 01:03:21,520 that take that take us from that large 1100 01:03:26,150 --> 01:03:23,920 uh eccentric orbit oriented and begin to 1101 01:03:28,069 --> 01:03:26,160 first lower it down to 200 kilometers 1102 01:03:30,230 --> 01:03:28,079 and then finally put us in our 30 1103 01:03:31,510 --> 01:03:30,240 kilometer by 216 kilometer orbit that 1104 01:03:33,029 --> 01:03:31,520 we'll spend the next two months and 1105 01:03:34,789 --> 01:03:33,039 while we do the work to get ready to 1106 01:03:36,470 --> 01:03:34,799 actually execute the mission okay so 1107 01:03:38,789 --> 01:03:36,480 tell me specifically when do the 1108 01:03:40,230 --> 01:03:38,799 instruments turn on we begin to well we 1109 01:03:42,069 --> 01:03:40,240 already have two instruments turned on 1110 01:03:43,510 --> 01:03:42,079 because they uh the blend instrument in 1111 01:03:45,670 --> 01:03:43,520 the craters both of which measure 1112 01:03:46,870 --> 01:03:45,680 radiation blend measures neutrons 1113 01:03:48,630 --> 01:03:46,880 eventually at the moon crater the 1114 01:03:50,870 --> 01:03:48,640 background radiation those were turned 1115 01:03:52,710 --> 01:03:50,880 on during our transit out to the moon so 1116 01:03:54,549 --> 01:03:52,720 we can measure the environment as we as 1117 01:03:56,870 --> 01:03:54,559 we travel there the other instruments 1118 01:03:58,390 --> 01:03:56,880 begin to be switched on in about a week 1119 01:04:00,150 --> 01:03:58,400 first we get the rest of the spacecraft 1120 01:04:01,750 --> 01:04:00,160 checked out and then we begin a 1121 01:04:03,430 --> 01:04:01,760 methodical process of bringing the 1122 01:04:05,430 --> 01:04:03,440 instruments online doing their 1123 01:04:08,230 --> 01:04:05,440 calibrations in orbit and beginning to 1124 01:04:10,230 --> 01:04:08,240 do observations over the next 1125 01:04:11,829 --> 01:04:10,240 over the next weeks so craig on a 1126 01:04:14,230 --> 01:04:11,839 personal note what do you hope will be 1127 01:04:16,230 --> 01:04:14,240 llo's legacy 1128 01:04:18,150 --> 01:04:16,240 well i believe lro's legacy and i 1129 01:04:20,549 --> 01:04:18,160 believe this says do almost everybody on 1130 01:04:22,470 --> 01:04:20,559 this team will be that when we look back 1131 01:04:25,430 --> 01:04:22,480 upon this we'll see that this small 1132 01:04:27,430 --> 01:04:25,440 spacecraft is this unmanned mechanical 1133 01:04:29,750 --> 01:04:27,440 surrogate for the human beings was the 1134 01:04:31,349 --> 01:04:29,760 beginning of when eventually we return 1135 01:04:33,510 --> 01:04:31,359 human beings to the moon our legacy will 1136 01:04:35,270 --> 01:04:33,520 be fresh footprints on the moon 1137 01:04:36,789 --> 01:04:35,280 excellent thank you so much you're very 1138 01:04:53,670 --> 01:04:36,799 welcome thank you talking with us and 1139 01:04:57,349 --> 01:04:55,349 well we would like to thank all the 1140 01:04:59,670 --> 01:04:57,359 viewers for joining us today for this 1141 01:05:00,870 --> 01:04:59,680 critical milestone for lro we look 1142 01:05:02,390 --> 01:05:00,880 forward to learning more about the 1143 01:05:05,510 --> 01:05:02,400 moon's features environment and 1144 01:05:19,589 --> 01:05:05,520 topography courtesy of lro thank you and 1145 01:05:23,270 --> 01:05:20,870 drop flight 1146 01:05:25,510 --> 01:05:23,280 go ahead flight i think we completed all 1147 01:05:27,270 --> 01:05:25,520 the prop cleanup activities everything's 1148 01:05:31,990 --> 01:05:27,280 good 1149 01:05:36,950 --> 01:05:35,029 acs hardware flight 1150 01:05:37,829 --> 01:05:36,960 go ahead flight 1151 01:05:39,430 --> 01:05:37,839 yeah 1152 01:05:41,029 --> 01:05:39,440 do we have any other cleanup activities 1153 01:05:42,309 --> 01:05:41,039 for you 1154 01:05:49,270 --> 01:05:42,319 all cleanup activities have been 1155 01:05:52,950 --> 01:05:51,349 everything looks good for you 1156 01:05:55,029 --> 01:05:52,960 everything looks good to us we just need 1157 01:05:58,630 --> 01:05:55,039 to switch tracker sources soon but we 1158 01:06:03,589 --> 01:06:01,510 okay copy that 1159 01:06:06,710 --> 01:06:03,599 we were just i was just going to let the 1160 01:06:11,270 --> 01:06:08,789 copy 1161 01:06:12,870 --> 01:06:11,280 we start slowing back at around 11 36 or 1162 01:06:15,910 --> 01:06:12,880 11 30. 1163 01:06:17,430 --> 01:06:15,920 yeah 11 30 48 the start of the saloon 1164 01:06:19,270 --> 01:06:17,440 okay 1165 01:06:20,630 --> 01:06:19,280 about an hour from now 1166 01:06:23,349 --> 01:06:20,640 all right we're just gonna hang out here