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Planetary Science

GRAIL-B (FLOW)

DecayedPlanetary ScienceLunar

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), were launched on 10 September 2011 aboard a single launch vehicle: the most-powerful configuration of a Delta II, the 7920H-10. 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. The first probe entered orbit on 31 December 2011 and the second followed on 1 January 2012. The two spacecraft impacted the lunar surface on December 17, 2012.

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Launch

Launch date
September 10, 2011 at 01:08 PM UTC
Launch site
Cape Canaveral SFS, USA
Launched by
Delta II 7920H-10C →
Operator
United Launch Alliance
Launch record
View full launch →

Trajectory

Regime
Interplanetary — Lunar
Reference body
Lunar

Identity

COSPAR (Int'l)
2011-046B
NORAD catalog №
37802
Object type
Payload
Owner / operator
United StatesUnited States
Status
Decayed
Decay / reentry
December 17, 2012

End of mission

Last active / ended
December 17, 2012
Time in service
1.3 years
Fate
Mission ended at Lunar.
Final status
Decayed