In June, NASA is sending two satellites, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), to the Moon to prepare for a future astronaut landing. LRO will create the first-ever complete surface map of the Moon, and LCROSS will excavate a crater to confirm the presence of water on the Moon.

Depiction of Shepherd and Centaur, Post-Flip as LCROSS heads for the Moon.

Credit: LCROSS/NASA

For more information, see the LRO and LCROSS sites on NASA.