Mission Summary
LADEE was a NASA mission designed to study one of the Moon’s least understood features: its extremely thin atmosphere, known as an exosphere. Launched on September 7, 2013, the spacecraft traveled to the Moon to investigate how the lunar environment behaved before future exploration could alter it.
After entering lunar orbit, LADEE measured the composition and structure of the Moon’s exosphere and searched for tiny dust particles that might float above the lunar surface. The mission helped scientists understand how gases and dust move around airless worlds, providing knowledge useful not only for the Moon but also for asteroids and other planetary bodies.
LADEE also tested a new laser communication system, demonstrating much faster data transmission between the Moon and Earth. After completing its science mission, LADEE was intentionally guided into the lunar surface on April 18, 2014.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
