June 19, 2009
LRO and LCROSS are bound for the moon after a flawless liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida aboard an Atlas V rocket. LRO successfully separated from LCROSS and the Centaur upper stage.
Liftoff occurred on June 18 at 5:32 p.m. EDT. Mission managers used the last launch opportunity due to storms surrounding the launch site. LRO will reach the moon on Tuesday at 5:43 a.m.
LRO and LCROSS will use vastly different methods to study the lunar environment. LRO will go into orbit around the moon, turning its suite of instruments towards the moon for thorough studies. The spacecraft also will be looking for potential landing sites for astronauts.
LCROSS, on the other hand, will guide an empty upper stage on a collision course with a permanently shaded crater in an effort to kick up evidence of water at the moon's poles. LCROSS itself will also impact the lunar surface during its course of study.
 The Launch Pad | To the Moon 
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