July 29, 2009
(Almost) free planetarium show - LRO

Clark Planetarium - Distribution - FLIGHT TO THE MOON: LRO and LCROSS

On June 18, two unmanned spacecraft, the LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) and LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) launched together in one Atlas 5 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. The LRO spacecraft will map the moon in unprecedented detail. LCROSS will deliver the Centaur impactor into a lunar crater, creating a plume for the spacecraft to fly into and collect data to see if water is present.

Clark Planetarium has worked with NASA to create a production depicting these events in a full-dome, three-dimensional mini-show allowing audiences to be visually transported to the moon.

This news brief has both a fulldome video version and a flat-screen video version (480p, 720p and 1080p). Thanks to funding from NASA, this fulldome show can be made available for the cost of processing and shipping ($200). The flat screen versions, either on DVD or as QuickTime files, are $29.99 (shipping included). The impact of the Centaur booster rocket is expected to impact a permanently shaded crater on the moon's south pole in mid-October. The exact impact time will be revised as the orbital elements are refined. After impact, a new version will be available to reflect those results.

Posted by Dave at July 29, 2009 09:03 PM