On Saturday, July 31st, NASA's Lunar Prospector mission came to a successful conclusion when the spacecraft slammed into a deep crater near the south pole of the moon. Scientists hope that the impact will free up water vapor that will be detectable from ground- and space-based observatories, providing proof of the existence of water and ice in the Moon's polar regions.

As observers around the world looked on, hoping for some visible sign of impact at 2:52 a.m. PDT, the lunar orbiter crashed into the Moon. Mission Control at NASA's Ames Research Center indicated they are confident the small, spin-stabilized spacecraft hit its intended target precisely.

No visible debris plume was reported; it may be several days before data from observatories and telescopes can be analyzed to determine if any water vapor was liberated by the impact.

For more science news an((d.images)) from Lunar Prospector, visit LunarImpact.

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