7.2 GJ Kinetic Impact & Water Ice Discovery
Cabeus Crater Permanently Shadowed Region · Discovered 155 kg of water ice and volatile cocktail
Impact Site
Cabeus Crater (PSR)
40 K (-233°C)
Centaur Impact Energy
7.20 GigaJoules
~1.72 tons TNT equivalent
Water Vapor Detected
155 kg H₂O
5.6% of excavated regolith
Plume Altitude
10 km High
Lit by solar rays above rim
LROC Frame
M119827295RE
NAC Cabeus PSR observation
Centaur Upper Stage Kinetic Energy Calculator
On October 9, 2009, NASA steered the spent 2,305 kg Centaur rocket body directly into Cabeus crater at 2.5 km/s (9,000 km/h). The kinetic explosion excavated a 20-meter crater and threw 350 tons of regolith into the sunlight.
Centaur Kinetic Collision
The 2,305 kg rocket slams into Cabeus crater floor at 9,000 km/h. Ejecta plume launches 10 km into sunlight above the crater rim.
Shepherding Craft Dives In
Trailing 4 minutes behind, the probe flies through the sunlit debris cloud, its 9 sensors capturing absorption dips of water ice.
Final Science Impact
After streaming high-speed video and spectra until 2 seconds before collision, the shepherding spacecraft impacts Cabeus, leaving its own monument.
Look deeper: mission background
Authentic NASA Mission Context: LCROSS in Cabeus Crater
On October 9, 2009, NASA sent the LCROSS Centaur upper stage hurtling into the permanently shadowed floor of Cabeus crater near the lunar south pole. The collision excavated a 20-meter crater and launched 350 tons of regolith into the sunlight. Trailing four minutes behind, the shepherding spacecraft flew through the plume, using near-infrared spectrometers to detect the distinctive absorption signatures of water ice at 1.4 µm and 1.9 µm. The mission proved that polar craters on the Moon harbor volatile reservoirs essential for future lunar exploration.