NASA sends 2 lunar probes on landmark mission

NASA has sent two new lunar probes on a landmark mission to scout for water sources and landing sites. It comes ahead of the plan to lead astronauts back to the moon in 2020.

This NASA file image taken by the Galileo spacecraft shows the Moon. NASA is set to blast off probes on a landmark lunar exploration mission to scout water sources and landing sites in anticipation of leading man back to the moon.(AFP/HO/File)

The two probes - a powerful lunar orbiter and a smaller spacecraft - will hunt for water ice by crashing into the moon.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is a robotic mission aimed at creating a comprehensive atlas of the moon's features, finding possible landing sites, and identifying available resources.

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite will search for water ice on the moon by sending the spent upper-stage Centaur rocket to impact part of a polar crater in permanent shadows.

It will fly into the plume of dust left by the impact and measure the properties before colliding with the lunar surface.