SpaceMiningData
SpacecraftMoonEnded

LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite)

NASA spacecraft launched with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on 18 June 2009. On 9 October 2009 its spent Centaur upper stage struck the permanently shadowed floor of Cabeus crater near the lunar south pole and the shepherding spacecraft observed the plume before its own impact; NASA announced on 13 November 2009 that water was detected, and Colaprete et al. (2010) estimated water ice at 5.6 +/- 2.9% by mass in the regolith at the impact site.

Objective. Confirm the presence of water ice in a permanently shadowed crater at the lunar south pole by impact and plume observation.

Listed for scientific context. This mission published a resource finding but is not counted as a resource mission.

Detected

Facts

Kind
Spacecraft
Mission type
Prospecting
Target
MoonCabeus crater, lunar south pole
Launch
2009-06-18
Phase
EndedMission ended with the planned impacts on 2009-10-09 (NASA LCROSS page).
Outcome
SuccessBasis: agency statement
Why it is included
Published resource finding (science context)

Outcome statement (agency statement)

indicates that the mission successfully uncovered water during the Oct. 9, 2009 impacts into the permanently shadowed region of Cabeus cater near the moon's south pole

Participants

Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.

OrganizationRole
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOperator

Resources and evidence

ResourceEvidence
Water iceDetected
VolatilesDetected

Open evidence gaps

  • Launch vehicle not captured from a primary page.

Sources

4 sources
  1. [1]LCROSS Impact Data Indicates Water on Moon (NASA press release)
    NASA (NSSDC archive)Government recordPublished 2009-11-13Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: outcome, resources, target site
    indicates that the mission successfully uncovered water during the Oct. 9, 2009 impacts into the permanently shadowed region of Cabeus cater near the moon's south pole
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  2. [2]LCROSS Impact Data Indicates Water on Moon (NASA press release)
    NASA (NSSDC archive)Government recordPublished 2009-11-13Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: inclusion basis
    water, and other compounds represent potential resources that could sustain future lunar exploration
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  3. [3]LCROSS
    NASA ScienceGovernment recordAccessed 2026-09-25Supports: launch date, objective
    Launch June 18, 2009 Target Earth's Moon Objective Confirm the presence of water ice on the Moon
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.
  4. [4]Detection of water in the LCROSS ejecta plume (Colaprete et al., Science 2010, doi:10.1126/science.1186986, PMID 20966242)
    Science (PubMed abstract via NCBI E-utilities)Peer-reviewedPublished 2010-10-22Accessed 2026-09-25Supports: resources, inclusion basis
    the concentration of water ice in the regolith at the LCROSS impact site is estimated to be 5.6 ± 2.9% by mass
    Quote matched the source text when accessed.