May 18, 2006                                   RELEASE: 06-224

NASA SET TO LAUNCH LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER IN 2008

After successful completion of its mission confirmation review on 
Wednesday, May 17, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter project has 
been given the authority to proceed to the implementation phase.

The confirmation review represents NASA's formal decision for 
authorizing additional work and sets the project's cost estimate. The 
mission was deemed to be within budget and on schedule to launch in 
October 2008.

After a 30-year hiatus, the orbiter represents NASA's first step 
towards returning humans to the moon. The spacecraft will spend an 
unprecedented year mapping the moon from an average altitude of 
approximately 30 miles. It will carry six instruments and one 
technology demonstration to conduct investigations specifically 
targeted at preparing for future human exploration.

The orbiter is being built at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in 
Greenbelt, Md. The instruments are being provided by various 
organizations throughout the U.S. and one in Russia. The instruments 
will generate a global map of the moon; to determine which potential 
landing sites are free from hazards; to measure light and temperature 
patterns at the moon's poles; to search for potential resources, such 
as water; and to assess the deep-space radiation environment and its 
potential effects on humans.

The next spacecraft milestone is the critical design review, scheduled 
for later this year. This review represents the completion of 
detailed system designs and marks the transition into the 
manufacturing, assembly, and integration phase of the mission 
development cycle.

_______________________________

Michael Braukus/Dolores Beasley
Headquarters, Washington
(202) 358-1979/1753

Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
(301) 286-0039