Clark Planetarium and NASA have partnered to create a news reel about NASA's next missions to the moon to embark on a journey to discover the most essential element for future explorers: Water.

In June 2009, two unmanned spacecraft, the LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) and LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) launched together in one Atlas 5 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. The LRO spacecraft is mapping the moon in unprecedented detail. LCROSS delivered the Centaur impactor into a shaded lunar crater, creating a plume for the spacecraft to fly into and collect data to see if water is present.

Clark Planetarium has worked with NASA to create a production depicting these events in a full-dome, 3-dimensional animation mini-show allowing audiences to be visually transported to the moon.

This video news brief has both a fulldome version and a flat-screen version. The flat-screen videos can be supplied on DVD, BluRay, or H.264 (Mpeg4) files. The 720p is available only as the H.264 file (420p is standard DVD resolution, 1080p in BluRay resolution). Thanks to funding from NASA, this fulldome show can be made available for the cost of processing and shipping ($200 if we supply the hard drive, $100 if you do). The flat screen versions, either on DVD or as digital files, are $29.99 (shipping included). For a BluRay DVD, total cost is $44.99.

The Centaur booster rocket impacted inside the permanently shaded part of the crater "Cabeus" near the moon's south pole last October. The first major scientific papers were released in June, 2010, at which point a new version will be produced to reflect those results.

NOTE: When you play the standard "Trailer" button at left, you will see the entire 9-minute mini-show (in very low resolution). Frame master resolution is 3600 X 3600.

For more information, contact Mike Murray, 801-456-4949