On Wednesday, the Moon will pass through the Earth's shadow, causing the last lunar eclipse of the year. Lunar Prospector will travel through darkness for 77 minutes, 14 minutes longer than it was intended to function without the power of the sun, according to mission controller Cathy Culver of Lockheed Martin.
Lunar Prospector is run primarily off solar power, but relies on battery power during short periods of darkness it regularly faces on its path. The craft has made it through the darkness of three lunar eclipses and three solar eclipses, Culver said, but never for the length of time it will on Wednesday. It will also be the first time the craft passes through the umbra, the darkest part of the shadow, of a lunar eclipse.
If the craft malfunctions, Lockheed Martin could lose control of the vehicle and miss a chance to send it into to the south pole of the Moon. The impact, it is hoped, would free up ice and prove that there is enough water on the Moon to support human colonies.
In order to try to avert a power failure, the mission team will power down some of the craft's scientific equipment, potentially sacrificing the completion of other experiments, Culver said.
Lunar Prospector was sent on a one-year mission in January 1998 to map the surface, internal structure, and magnetic and gravity fields of the Moon. Its mission was extended, but a shortage of funds has led NASA to end the mission on July 31. Rather than have the craft linger in space, NASA decided to end its life by crashing it into the Moon in a final scientific endeavor.
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