See the Launch of NASA’s LADEE Mission to the Moon

NASA will host a two-day event for 50 of its social media followers on Thursday, Sept. 5, and Friday, Sept. 6, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Va., for the launch of NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE).

LADEE is a robotic mission that will orbit our moon to gather detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere and determine if dust is being lofted into the lunar sky

A thorough understanding of these characteristics of our nearest celestial neighbor will help researchers understand other bodies in the solar system, such as Mercury, outer planets’ moons and larger asteroids. The mission was developed and built at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.

LADEE is the first moon launch from Wallops Flight Facility and the first launch of Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Minotaur V rocket.

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

View the launch of the Minotaur V rocket carrying LADEE
Hear first-hand accounts of the mission development and research goals from the LADEE science and engineering teams from NASA Ames and other organizations
Get a behind-the-scenes tour Wallops Flight Facility (Note: All sites on WFF are subject to closure due to mission requirements), including potential opportunities to:
- Tour Chincoteague Island
- View the Minotaur V launch pad
Meet and interact with representatives from NASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation
Meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media
Meet members of NASA’s social media teams
Touch an actual moon rock