NASA fires a laser at the moon because… because they’re NASA that’s why
This photo was taken by photographer Wade Sisler at the Goddard Space Flight Center. At the Laser Ranging Facility, engineers fire a laser 28 times per second across nearly 250,000 miles at the minivan-sized Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a spacecraft moving at nearly 3,600 miles per hour as it orbits the moon.
By knowing the precise location of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists are able to ensure the accuracy of the moon maps the probe generates. The spacecraft recently completed its first year at the moon and, last week, finished its initial exploration mission to support future NASA flights to the moon. The probe is now switching to a pure science mission to help researchers to better understand the moon and its history.
