GRAIL

For other uses, see Grail (disambiguation).
Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
Artist's interpretation of the GRAIL tandem spacecraft above the lunar surface.
NamesGRAIL
Mission typeLunar orbiters
OperatorNASA / JPL[1][2]
COSPAR ID2011-046A
2011-046B
SATCAT no.37801
37802
Websitemoon.mit.edu
Mission duration1 year, 3 months and 7 days
Spacecraft properties
BusXSS-11[3]
ManufacturerMIT
Lockheed Martin
Launch mass202.4 kg (each)[4]
Dry mass132.6 kg (292 lb)
Power(Solar array / Li-ion battery)
Start of mission
Launch dateSeptember 10, 2011, 13:08:52.775 (2011-09-10UTC13:08:52Z) UTC
RocketDelta II 7920H-10
D-356
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-17B
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
Entered serviceDecember 31, 2011 (Ebb)
January 1, 2012 (Flow)
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay dateDecember 17, 2012
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSelenocentric
RegimePolar orbit[5]
Semi-major axis1,788.0 km (1,111.0 mi)
Periselene altitude25 km (16 mi)
Aposelene altitude86 km (53 mi)
Period113 minutes
Lunar impactor
Spacecraft componentEbb
Impact dateDecember 17, 2012, 22:28:51 UTC
Impact site75°36′30″N 33°24′15″E / 75.6083°N 33.4043°E / 75.6083; 33.4043
Lunar impactor
Spacecraft componentFlow
Impact dateDecember 17, 2012, 22:29:21 UTC
Impact site75°39′01″N 33°09′51″E / 75.6504°N 33.1643°E / 75.6504; 33.1643
← Kepler
InSight →
MoonKAM shot

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) was an American lunar science mission in NASA's Discovery Program which used high-quality gravitational field mapping of the Moon to determine its interior structure. The two small spacecraft GRAIL A (Ebb) and GRAIL B (Flow)[6][7] were launched on 10 September 2011 aboard a single launch vehicle: the most-powerful configuration of a Delta II, the 7920H-10.[1][8][9] GRAIL A separated from the rocket about nine minutes after launch, GRAIL B followed about eight minutes later. They arrived at their orbits around the Moon 25 hours apart.[10][11] The first probe entered orbit on 31 December 2011 and the second followed on 1 January 2012.[12] The two spacecraft impacted the Lunar surface on December 17, 2012.[11]

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  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference sf101-1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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