| .....Lunar Prospector, the third
Discovery mission, launched on January 6,
1998, and was successfully placed into
orbit 63 miles above the lunar surface
five days later. .....The
studies conducted by the spacecraft and
its five instruments were designed to
provide insights into lunar origin and
evolution and determine whether or not
water ice is present in the Moon's polar
regions.
.....Besides water, Lunar Prospector
searched for other natural resources,
such as minerals and gases, that could be
used to build and sustain a future human
lunar base or to manufacture fuel for
launching spacecraft from the Moon to the
rest of the Solar System.
.....The science data returned from
Lunar Prospector has enabled scientists
to create the most complete and detailed
maps of the gravity, magnetic properties
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