NASA to launch moon mission in September
WASHINGTON. August 27. KAZINFORM NASA's Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) is in final launch preparations for a scheduled Sept. 8 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the space agency announced Thursday.
According to Xinhua, GRAIL's twin spacecraft are tasked for a nine-month mission to explore Earth's nearest neighbor in unprecedented detail. They will determine the structure of the lunar interior from crust to core and advance our understanding of the thermal evolution of the moon.
The spacecraft twins, GRAIL A and B, will fly a circuitous route to lunar orbit taking 3.5 months and covering approximately 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers) for GRAIL-A, and 2.7 million miles (4.3 million kilometers) for GRAIL-B.
Details also at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2011-08/26/c_131074779.htm