LRO mid-course correction burn successful!
LRO's first mid-course correction burn was successfully executed yesterday (June 19) at 6:16pm EDT. The LRO engine fired for 38 seconds, changing the speed of the spacecraft by 1.3 m/s (2.9 MPH) -- less than 0.1% -- just the right amount to put the spacecraft on target with its rendezvous with the Moon on Tuesday morning (June 23). The big burn, Lunar Orbit Insertion or LOI, occurs at 5:47 EDT (06/23 ‐ 09:47 UTC). At this time the LRO engine will burn for about 40 minutes to gently nudge itself into lunar orbit.
Published by Mark Robinson on 20 June 2009