NASA Launches Lunar Explorer

NASA is headed back to the moon for the first time in 25 years, launching from Cape Canaveral an orbiting spacecraft to look for water that could one day be used by human settlers. The Lunar Prospector is due to arrive at the moon Sunday. Two days later, the probe will slip into a 60-mile-high orbit and begin searching for evidence of frozen water as well as minerals and gases. The spacecraft has five science instruments, including a neutron spectrometer that will look for excess hydrogen, an indication of water. Some scientists believe the moon’s shadowy poles hold as much as 1 billion tons of water ice. The 4-foot, 650-pound Prospector will survey the entire moon, orbiting from pole to pole. The $63-million mission is expected to last at least a year.