NASA Moon Probe Eyeing Chinese Lunar Lander from Orbit

NASA Moon Probe Eyeing Chinese Lunar Lander from Orbit

A sharp-eyed NASA spacecraft is keeping tabs on China's recently arrived lunar lander, all in the name of science.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has added China's Chang'e 3 lander and associated rover — which touched down on the moon on Saturday — to its list of observation targets.

"Repeated imaging of the landing site by LROC [the LRO Camera] will allow for detailed measurements of changes to the surface caused by the landing and movement of the Chang’e 3 rover," NASA officials wrote in a statement on Friday

SEE ALSO: See photos from China's Chang'e 3 moon rover mission

"LROC can image the surface to identify changes caused by Chang’e 3’s descent engine, similar to what has been observed from previous lunar landers," they added. "The resulting atmospheric and surface changes will provide LRO with a new scientific opportunity to observe the transport of gases on the moon and the effects of local disturbances on the lunar regolith." Read more...

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