NASA crashed a rocket into the moon today

**Kirsten** · 10-09-2009, 09:05 AM

I have to admit I'm a little bit concerned and worried about this:

NASA crashes rocket, satellite into moon in search for water

What if the impact changes the orbit of the moon? I think mankind has already caused enough damage here on earth...

Kirsten

**aTailOf2Kitties** · 10-09-2009, 09:50 AM

the moon gets struck by hundreds of objects every day. Where do you think the craters came from? A couple of satellites won't change a thing.

I still think this is a huge waste of $$ though.

**smokey the elder** · 10-09-2009, 10:50 AM

It depends if you think manned space exploration is a waste of money. If the moon has a good quantity of water, that means we wouldn't have to bring water with us to establish a moon base. Water, along with being valuable in its own right, can be split into hydrogen (for fuel, perhaps to send a rocket to Mars?) and oxygen, for people to breath.

This probe could no more knock the moon out of its orbit than the Apollo landers.

**aTailOf2Kitties** · 10-09-2009, 04:01 PM

2/3 of the earths surface is covered in water and we're spending $67 million trying to find it on the moon? I can see the Mississippi river from here. I'll get NASA some water for a mere $1 million.

**Lady's Human** · 10-09-2009, 11:38 PM

mass of the Moon = 7.36 × 10 to the 22 kilograms

mass of impactor=1000 Kg

The comparative mass of the impactor is infinitessimally small compared to the mass of the moon. It would be absolutely impossible for such a minute collision to have any effect on the orbit of the moon. For such an impact to have any effect, the impactor would have to be moving at a large % of the speed of light, and we're not there yet.

If, however, NASA finds water, the impact on possible exploration of the solar system could be staggering.

NASA wouldn't have to carry mass to the moon, they could make the fuel and life support essentials in place, and carry them to Mars as well, as the moon's gravity well is much more shallow than the Earth's.

**smokey the elder** · 10-11-2009, 09:00 AM

To launch a pound of anything past escape velocity from the Earth requires approximately 100 lb of thrust.

To launch the same pound from the Moon requires 1/6th that. (Difference in Earth vs Lunar gravity.)

The only feasable way to have a base on the Moon with current tech level is if we can "live off the land", as it were.

**RICHARD** · 10-11-2009, 10:59 AM

So explain this, you smartypants!

**Cinder & Smoke** · 10-11-2009, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by aTailOf2Kitties

I can see the Mississippi river from here.
I'll get NASA some water for a mere $1 million.

Such a Deal!

Only one problemo ...
By the time you get your Mississippi River Water to pass all the NASA "specs" ...
You'd prolly loose money at $1 million per 5 gallon bottle.