Was it really necessary for NASA to spend millions of dollars on moon probe?
NASA scientists say they had a valid reason for hurling two spacecraft into the moon Friday. We wonder, though, if they just felt like blowing something up.
The experiment allegedly was designed to create a cloud of lunar dust that scientists could analyze for water content. To accomplish this, NASA officials planned to slam a 2.2-ton empty rocket stage into the moon at twice the speed of a bullet, equal to the power of 1.5 tons of TNT.
“Cool,” said millions of Americans in unison, envisioning a giant explosion they could watch from their backyards.
The whiz kids at NASA managed to hit the moon with the two empty rockets (they had missed on eight previous attempts) and the resulting dust plumes pleased the scientists. But the audience of civilians were not impressed.
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