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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{short description|Former NASA Lunar mission}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name              = Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer
| image             = File:LADEE w flare - cropped.jpg
| image_caption     = Artist's depiction of LADEE in lunar orbit

| mission_type = Lunar atmospheric research
| operator = [[NASA]]
| COSPAR_ID = 2013-047A
| SATCAT = 39246
| website = {{url|https://nasa.gov/ladee}}
| mission_duration = Primary mission: 100 days Extended mission: 28 days Total duration: {{Age in days|2013|09|07|2014|04|18}} days

| spacecraft_bus = [[Modular Common Spacecraft Bus|MCSB]]
| manufacturer = [[Ames Research Center]]
| launch_mass = {{convert|383|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAQ" />
| dry_mass = {{convert|248.2|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAQ" />
| payload_mass = {{convert|49.6|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAQ" />
| dimensions = {{convert|1.85|*|1.85|*|2.37|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="FAQ" />
| power = 295&nbsp;watts<ref name="FAQ" />

| launch_date = {{start-date|September 7, 2013, 03:27|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC<ref name="launchschedule" />
| launch_rocket = [[Minotaur V]]
| launch_site = [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport|Wallops]] [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0|Pad 0B]]
| launch_contractor = [[Orbital Sciences Corporation|Orbital]]<ref name="FAQ" />

| disposal_type     = Deorbited
| decay_date        = {{end-date|April 18, 2014}}, ~04:30&nbsp;UTC

| apsis = selene
| orbit_reference = [[Lunar orbit|Selenocentric]]<ref name="nsf20130906" />
| orbit_periapsis = {{convert|25|-|50|km|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="spf101-traj" />
| orbit_apoapsis = {{convert|60|-|80|km|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="spf101-traj" />
| orbit_inclination = 157 degrees<ref name="spf101-traj" />
| orbit_period = 111.5 to 116.5 minutes<ref name="FAQ" />
| orbit_epoch = Planned (science phase)

| interplanetary = {{Infobox spaceflight/IP
 | type = orbiter
 | object = [[Moon]]
 | orbits =
 | arrival_date = October 6, 2013, 10:57&nbsp;UTC
 | location = 
 }}

| insignia          = File:LADEE.png
| insignia_caption  = Logotype of the mission
}}

The '''Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer''' ('''LADEE'''; {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|æ|d|i}})<ref name="nasa-overview" /> was a [[NASA]] [[lunar exploration]] and [[technology demonstration]] mission. It was launched on a [[Minotaur V]] rocket from the [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport]] on September 7, 2013.<ref name="gsfc-ladee" /> During its seven-month mission, LADEE [[orbit]]ed the Moon's equator, using its instruments to study the [[Atmosphere of the Moon|lunar exosphere]] and dust in the Moon's vicinity. Instruments included a dust detector, neutral [[mass spectrometer]], and ultraviolet-visible [[spectrometer]], as well as a technology demonstration consisting of a [[laser]] [[satellite communications|communications]] terminal.<ref name="nasa-science" /> The mission ended on April 18, 2014, when the spacecraft's controllers intentionally crashed LADEE into the [[far side of the Moon]],<ref name="nyt20140418" /><ref name="abc20140418" /> which, later, was determined to be near the eastern rim of [[Sundman (crater)|Sundman V crater]].<ref name="NASA-20141028-NNJ" />

==Planning and preparations==
LADEE was announced during the presentation of NASA's {{abbr|FY09|fiscal year 2009}} budget in February 2008.<ref>{{cite news|title=NASA'S LADEE Spacecraft Reaches Moon Month After Launch|first=Jim|last=Siegel|date=October 8, 2013|url=https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/nasas-ladee-spacecraft-reaches-moon-month-after-launch/|publisher=Spaceflight Insider|access-date=December 30, 2022}}</ref> It was initially planned to be launched with the [[Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory]] (GRAIL) satellites.<ref name="nasa-2008" />

Mechanical tests including [[Direct Field Acoustic Testing|acoustic]], [[Vibration#Vibration testing|vibration]] and [[Shock (mechanics)|shock]] tests were completed prior to full-scale [[thermal vacuum chamber]] testing at NASA's [[Ames Research Center]] in April 2013.<ref name="nasa20130430" /> During August 2013, LADEE underwent final balancing, fuelling and mounting on the launcher, and all pre-launch activities were complete by August 31, ready for the launch window which opened on September 6.<ref name="nasa-ready" />

NASA Ames was responsible for the day-to-day functions of LADEE while the [[Goddard Space Flight Center]] operated the sensor suite and technology demonstration payloads as well as managing launch operations.<ref name="nasa-role" /> The LADEE mission cost approximately $280 million, which included spacecraft development and science instruments, launch services, mission operations, science processing and relay support.<ref name="FAQ" />

===Atmospheric glow===
[[File:Apollo 17 twilight ray sketch.jpg|thumb|left|upright|At sunrise and sunset various Apollo crews saw glows and rays.<ref name="storm" /> This [[Apollo 17]] sketch depicts the mysterious twilight rays.]]
The Moon may have a tenuous atmosphere of moving particles constantly leaping up from and falling back to the Moon's surface, giving rise to a "dust atmosphere" that looks static but is composed of dust particles in constant motion. According to models proposed starting from 1956,<ref name="townsendbrown" /> on the daylit side of the Moon, solar [[ultraviolet]] and [[X-ray]] radiation is energetic enough to knock [[electron]]s out of atoms and molecules in the lunar soil. Positive charges build up until the tiniest particles of lunar dust (measuring 1 micrometre and smaller) are repelled from the surface and lofted anywhere from metres to kilometres high, with the smallest particles reaching the highest altitudes.<ref name="townsendbrown" /><ref name="moonfountains" /><ref name="ref002" /><ref name="ref001" /> Eventually they fall back toward the surface where the process is repeated. On the night side, the dust is negatively charged by electrons in the [[solar wind]]. Indeed, the "fountain model" suggests that the night side would charge up to higher voltages than the day side, possibly launching dust particles to higher velocities and altitudes.<ref name="moonfountains"/> This effect could be further enhanced during the portion of the Moon's orbit where it passes through Earth's [[magnetotail]];<ref name="tail" /> see [[Magnetic field of the Moon]] for more detail. On the terminator there could be significant horizontal electric fields forming between the day and night areas, resulting in horizontal dust transport.<ref name="tail" />

Also, the Moon has been shown to have a "[[Sodium tail of the Moon|sodium tail]]" too faint to be detected by the human eye. It is hundreds of thousands of miles long, and was discovered in 1998 as a result of [[Boston University]] scientists observing the [[Leonids|Leonid]] meteor storm. The Moon is constantly releasing atomic sodium gas from its surface, and [[sun|solar]] radiation pressure accelerates the sodium atoms in the anti-sunward direction, forming an elongated tail which points away from the Sun.<ref name="bbc-363105" /><ref name="ref003" /><ref name="nasa-26oct" /> As of April 2013, it had not yet been determined whether ionized sodium gas atoms or charged dust are the cause of the reported Moon glows.<ref name="sodium" />

===Chinese lander===
China's [[Chang'e 3]] spacecraft, which was launched on December 1, 2013, and entered lunar orbit on December 6,<ref name="busistandard20131206" /> was expected to contaminate the tenuous lunar [[exosphere]] with both propellant from engine firings and lunar dust from the vehicle's landing.<ref name="space20131121" /> While concern was expressed that this could disrupt LADEE's mission,<ref name="space20131121" /> such as its baseline readings of the Moon's exosphere, it instead provided additional science value since both the quantity and composition of the spacecraft's propulsion system exhaust were known.<ref name="airspace20131030" /> Data from LADEE was used to track the distribution and eventual dissipation of the exhaust and dust in the Moon's exosphere.<ref name="airspace20131030"/><ref name="space-trouble" /> It was also possible to observe the [[Lunar water#Transport|migration of water]], one component of the exhaust, giving insight on how it is transported and becomes trapped around the lunar poles.<ref name="sandt20131002" />

==Mission objectives==
The LADEE mission was designed to address three major science goals:<ref name="spaceref-27450" />
* Determine the global density, composition, and time variability of the tenuous lunar [[exosphere]] before it is perturbed by further human activity;
* Determine if the Apollo astronaut sightings of diffuse emission at tens of kilometers above the surface were [[Sodium tail of the Moon|sodium glow]] or dust;
* Document the dust impactor environment (size, frequency) to help guide design engineering for the outpost and also future robotic missions;
and one [[technology demonstration]] goal:
* Demonstrate two-way [[laser communication]] from lunar orbit.<ref name="llcd" />

===Launch===
LADEE was launched on September 7, 2013, at 03:27 UTC (September 6, 11:27&nbsp;p.m. EDT), from the [[Wallops Flight Facility]] at the [[Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport]] on a [[Minotaur V]] carrier rocket.<ref name="propsow" /> This was the first lunar mission to be launched from that facility. The launch had the potential for visibility along much of the U.S. eastern seaboard, from Maine to South Carolina; clear weather allowed numerous observers from New York City to Virginia to observe the ascent, first stage cutoff and second stage ignition.<ref name="nbc" />

As the Minotaur V is a [[solid-propellant rocket]], spacecraft [[Spacecraft attitude control|attitude control]] on this mission operated a bit differently from a typical liquid-fueled rocket with more continuous [[Closed-loop controller|closed-loop feedback]]. The first three Minotaur stages "fly a pre-programmed attitude profile" to gain velocity and deliver the vehicle to its preliminary trajectory, while the fourth stage is used to [[3-axis stabilized spacecraft|modify]] the flight profile and deliver the LADEE spacecraft into [[perigee]] for the [[Spin-stabilized satellite|spin-stabilized]] fifth stage to then put the spacecraft into a [[Elliptic orbit|highly elliptical]] [[Geocentric orbit|orbit around Earth]]—the first of three—to begin a month-long Lunar transit.<ref name="sf1-20130921" />

While now separated from the LADEE spacecraft, both the fourth and fifth stages of the Minotaur V reached orbit, and are now [[space debris]] in [[Geocentric orbit|Earth orbit]].<ref name="nsf20130906" />

A launch photo with a frog thrown high by the pressure wave became popular on social media. The frog's condition is uncertain.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/eKfsSLIaB9 NASA on Instagram: “A still camera on a sound trigger captured this intriguing photo of an airborne frog as NASA's LADEE spacecraft lifts off from Pad 0B at…”]</ref><ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/eKZ8DMt_N5 NASA Goddard on Instagram: “Frog Photobombs NASA's LADEE Launch - A still camera on a sound trigger captured this intriguing photo of an airborne frog as NASA's…”]</ref>

===Lunar transit===
[[File:LADEE fires small engines.jpg|thumb|Artist concept of LADEE firing thrusters]]
{{multiple images |direction=horizontal |align=right |total_width=450
 |image1=Animation of LADEE trajectory.gif |caption1=Animation of LADEE{{'s}} trajectory from September 7, 2013, to October 31, 2013 {{legend2|magenta|LADEE}}{{·}}{{legend2|DarkKhaki|[[Moon]]}}{{·}}{{legend2|RoyalBlue|[[Earth]]}}
 |image2=Animation of LADEE trajectory around Moon.gif |caption2=Animation of LADEE{{'s}} trajectory around [[Moon]] from October 1, 2013, to April 17, 2014 {{legend2|magenta|LADEE}}{{·}}{{legend2|DarkKhaki|[[Moon]]}}
}}

LADEE took an unusual approach in its transit of the [[Moon]]. Launched into a [[Elliptic orbit|highly elliptical]] [[Geocentric orbit|Earth orbit]], the spacecraft made three increasingly larger laps around Earth<ref name="nsf20130906" /> before getting close enough to enter into [[Selenocentric orbit|Lunar orbit]]. The transit required approximately one month.<ref name="st20130907" />

After separating from the Minotaur, high electrical currents were detected in the satellite's [[reaction wheel]]s causing them to be shut down. There was no indication of a fault, and after the protection limits were adjusted, orientation with reaction wheels was resumed the following day.<ref name="sfn-20130907" />

The LADEE spacecraft made three "phasing [[Geocentric orbit|orbits]]" of Earth before it accomplished a [[Lunar orbit insertion]] (LOI), which occurred at [[perigee]] of the third orbit using a three-minute engine burn.<ref name="nsf20130906" /> The target orbit for the third Earth orbit had a perigee of {{convert|200|km|sp=us}}, an apogee of {{convert|278000|km|abbr=on}} and an [[orbital inclination|inclination]] of 37.65 degrees. The planned [[argument of perigee]] is 155 degrees, while its [[characteristic energy]], C3 is -2.75&nbsp;km2/s2.<ref name="nsf20130906" /> The novel trajectory using [[Orbit phasing|orbital phasing loops]] was done for four main reasons:<ref name="ag20130912" />
* the Minotaur V launch vehicle had insufficient [[delta-v]] to put the {{convert|383|kg|lb|abbr=on}} LADEE directly into a [[trans-lunar injection]].
* to handle potential off-nominal launch dispersions from the Minotaur V—which is a stack of five [[Solid-fuel rocket|solid rocket]] stages, and is not considered to be a particularly precise rocket—in a propellant-efficient manner while leaving the orbit profile flexible to large dispersions in the initial injection orbit.
* to widen the [[launch window]] to five days. In the event, LADEE did not need this as the launch occurred at the beginning of the window on the first day.
* to increase mission robustness in the face of any anomalous or missed orbital maneuvers with the spacecraft.

===Lunar orbit and systems checkout===

LADEE entered lunar orbit on October 6, 2013, when LADEE was put into an elliptical capture orbit of 24 hours duration.<ref name="ag20131007" /> LADEE was further lowered into a four-hour orbit on October 9, 2013,<ref name="ag20131009" /> One further burn occurred on October 12 lowering LADEE into a [[circular orbit|circular]] [[Lunar orbit|orbit around the Moon]] with an altitude of approximately {{convert|250|km|sp=us}} for its commissioning phase, which lasted about 30 days.<ref name="sdc20131007" /> LADEE's systems and instruments were checked out after the orbit was lowered to {{convert|75|km|abbr=on}} altitude.<ref name="nsf20130906" />

===Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration===
{{main|Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration}}
[[File:LADEE's LLCD optical module rendering.jpg|thumb|Depiction of the optical module of the LLCD]]
LADEE's ''Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration'' (LLCD) [[pulsed laser]] system conducted a successful test on October 18, 2013, transmitting data between the spacecraft and its ground station on Earth at a distance of {{convert|239000|mi|km|order=flip}}. This test set a [[downlink]] record of 622 [[megabit]]s per second (Mbps) from spacecraft to ground, and an "error-free data upload rate of 20 Mbps" from ground station to spacecraft.<ref name="parabolic 20131022" /> Tests were carried out over a 30-day test period.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113034994/lunar-laser-communication-demonstration-reveals-bright-future-for-space-communication-122413/ |title=Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration Reveals Bright Future For Space Communication |work=NASA |publisher=Red Orbit |date=December 24, 2013 |access-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref>

The LLCD is a [[free-space optical communication]] system. It is NASA's first attempt at two-way space communication using an [[laser|optical laser]] instead of [[radio wave]]s. It is expected to lead to operational laser systems on future NASA satellites.

===Science phase===
For the science operations, LADEE was maneuvered into an orbit with a [[periselene]] of {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} and an [[aposelene]] of {{convert|60|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="FAQ" /> The science phase of LADEE's primary mission was initially planned as 100 days,<ref name="nsf20130906" /> and later given a 28-day extension. The extension provided an opportunity for the satellite to gather an additional full lunar cycle worth of very low-altitude data to help scientists unravel the nature of the Moon's tenuous exosphere.<ref name="extension" />

===End of mission===
Spacecraft controllers ordered a final engine burn on April 11, 2014, to lower LADEE to within {{convert|1|mi|km|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} of the Moon's surface and set it up for impact no later than April 21.<ref name="nyt20140418" /><ref name="abc20140418" /><ref name="nasa20140418" /> The probe then dealt with the [[April 2014 lunar eclipse]] on April 15, during which it could not generate power because it was in Earth's shadow for four hours.<ref name="voanews20140418" /> Science instruments were turned off and heaters were cycled during the event to conserve energy but keep the spacecraft warm.<ref name="voanews20140418" /> Engineers did not expect LADEE to survive, as it was not designed to handle such an environment, but it exited the eclipse with only a few pressure sensor malfunctions.<ref name="abc20140418" />

During its penultimate orbit on April 17, LADEE's [[periapsis]] took it within {{convert|300|m|ft|-2|abbr=on}} of the lunar surface.<ref name="csmonitor20140418" /> Contact with the spacecraft was lost around 04:30 UTC on April 18 when it moved behind the Moon.<ref name="nyt20140418" /><ref name="award 2014">{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Dwayne |last2=Hoover |first2=Rachel |url=http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/october/nasa-lunar-mission-wins-2014-popular-mechanics-breakthrough-award/ |title=NASA Lunar Mission Wins 2014 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award |work=NASA |date=October 7, 2014 |access-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> LADEE struck the Moon's far side surface some time between 04:30 and 05:22 at a speed of {{convert|3600|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref name="abc20140418" /><ref name="csmonitor20140418" /> The far side of the Moon was chosen to avoid the possibility of damaging historically important locations such as the [[Luna programme|Luna]] and [[Apollo program|Apollo]] landing sites.<ref name="nyt20140418" /> NASA used the [[Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter]] to image the impact location, which was determined to be near the eastern rim of Sundman V crater.<ref name="NASA-20141028-NNJ">{{cite web |last=Neal-Jones |first=Nancy |title=NASA's LRO Spacecraft Captures Images of LADEE's Impact Crater |url=http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasa-s-lro-spacecraft-captures-images-of-ladee-s-impact-crater |date=October 28, 2014 |work=[[NASA]] |access-date=October 28, 2014}}</ref><ref name="nasa20140418" /><ref name="csmonitor20140418" />
{{multiple image|total_width=600 |align=center |footer_align=center |header=LADEE - Impact Crater<ref name="NASA-20141028-NNJ" />|width1=673 |height1=378 |image1=LADEE-BeforeImpact-LRO-20141028.jpg |caption1=Before impact |width2=673 |height2=378 |image2=LADEE-AfterImpact-LRO-20141028.jpg |caption2=After impact |width3=1000 |height3=1000 |image3=LADEE-Impact-Ratio-LRO-20141028.png |caption3=Superimposed images
 |footer=[[Sundman (crater)|Sundman V crater (eastern rim)]]; April 18, 2014 }}

==Spacecraft==

===Design===
LADEE is the first spacecraft [[Spacecraft design|designed]], [[Integration testing|integrated]], built, and [[System testing|tested]] by NASA's [[Ames Research Center]].<ref name="sdc20130909" /> The spacecraft is of a novel design (a [[spacecraft bus]] never previously flown)—and of much lower cost than typical NASA science missions—which presented novel challenges to the trajectory design team in getting the new spacecraft launched to the Moon with a high-confidence spaceflight trajectory plan, while dealing with a first-use new rocket (Minotaur V) and a spacecraft with no [[flight test]] legacy. (see [[#Lunar transit|Lunar transit]], above.)<ref name="sdc20130909" />

LADEE mission makes use of the [[Modular Common Spacecraft Bus]], or body, made of a lightweight carbon composite with an unfueled mass of {{convert|248.2|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. The bus has the ability to perform on various kinds of missions—including voyages to the Moon and [[Near-Earth object]]s—with different modules or applicable systems. This modular concept is an innovative way of transitioning away from custom designs and toward multi-use designs and assembly-line production, which could dramatically reduce the cost of spacecraft development.<ref name="nasa-missionpages" /> The LADEE spacecraft bus modules consist of the Radiator Module which carries the avionics, electrical system, and attitude sensors; the Bus Module; the Payload Module that carries the two largest instruments; and the Extension Modules, which house the propulsion system.<ref name="FAQ" />

;Specifications
The main structure is {{convert|2.37|m|ft|abbr=on}} high, {{convert|1.85|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|1.85|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep. The total mass of the spacecraft is {{convert|383|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="FAQ" />

===Power===
Electrical power was generated by a [[photovoltaic system]] composed of 30 panels of silicon solar cells producing 295 [[watt|W]] at one [[Astronomical unit|AU]]. The solar panels were mounted on the satellite's exterior surfaces and the electrical power was stored in one [[lithium-ion battery]] providing up to 24 [[ampere hour|Ah]] of 28-[[volt]] power.<ref name="FAQ" />

===Propulsion system===
The LADEE propulsion system consisted of an orbit control system (OCS) and a reaction control system (RCS). The OCS provided velocity control along the +[[Z axis]] for large velocity adjustments. The RCS provided three-axis [[Three-axis stabilization|attitude control]] during burns of the OCS system, and also provided momentum dumps for the [[reaction wheel]]s which were the primary attitude control system between OCS burns.<ref name="propsow" />

The main engine was a 455[[Newton (unit)|N]] High Performance Apogee Thruster (HiPAT). The high efficiency 22N attitude control thrusters are manufactured using high temperature materials and similar to the HiPAT. The main engine provided the majority of the thrust for spacecraft trajectory correction maneuvers. The control system thrusters were used for the small maneuvers planned for the science phase of the mission.<ref name="FAQ" />

Following the science phase, a decommissioning period occurred, during which the altitude was gradually lowered until the spacecraft impacted the lunar surface.<ref name="FAQ" />

===Science payload===
LADEE carried three scientific instruments and a technology demonstration payload.

The science payload consists of:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ladee/science/ |title=LADEE's Science and Instruments |date=August 22, 2013 |publisher=NASA |access-date=July 26, 2015}}</ref>
* The Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS), which performed in situ measurements of [[exosphere|exospheric]] atoms and molecules via [[mass spectroscopy]]. Parts of NMS were based on the SAM instrument on the [[Mars Science Laboratory]].
* The UV-Vis Spectrometer (UVS), which measured both the dust and exosphere by [[ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy]]. The instrument was based on the UV-Vis spectrometer on the [[LCROSS]] mission.
* Lunar Dust EXperiment (LDEX), which directly measured dust using an impact ionization detector. This functions by measuring the ionization of particles hitting the detector.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/experiment/display.action?id=2013-047A-03 |title=Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) |work=[[National Space Science Data Center]] |access-date=July 26, 2015}}</ref> The instrument built on experience gained from similar [[Galileo and Ulysses Dust Detectors|instruments]] on ''[[Galileo (spacecraft)|Galileo]]'', ''[[Ulysses (spacecraft)|Ulysses]]'', and ''[[Cassini (spacecraft)|Cassini]]''.

===Technology demonstration payload===
LADEE also carried a technology demonstration payload for testing an [[optical communication]] system. The [[Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration]] (LLCD) used a laser to transmit and receive data as pulses of light, in much the same way as data is transferred in a [[fiber optic]] cable. Three ground stations were used. This method of communication could potentially provide data rates five times higher than the previous [[radio frequency]] communication system.<ref name="llcd" /><ref name="gsfc-335" /> The technology is a direct predecessor to NASA's [[Laser Communications Relay Demonstration]] (LCRD) system which was due to launch in 2017,<ref name="esa-laser" /><ref name="nasa-lcd" /> and actually launched in 2021.<ref name="nasa20211207"/>

<gallery class="center" heights="140px" mode="packed">
File:LADEE Spacecraft.jpg|LADEE with instruments labeled
File:LADEE's instrument Neutral Mass Spectrometer.jpg|NMS
File:LADEE's instrument Ultraviolet and Visible Light Spectrometer (UVS) Acd13-0051-008-uvs.jpg|UVS
File:LADEE's instrument Lunar Dust Experiment LDEX Acd13-0051-003-ldex.jpg|LDEX
</gallery>

==Results==
{{update section|date=November 2023}}
The LADEE science teams continued to analyze data acquired at the time of the Chang'e 3 landing on December 14, 2013.<ref name="results Jan 2014" />
* The Lunar Dust EXperiment (LDEX) team noted an increase in dust around the time of the landing. However, the rise preceded the landing time by many hours, suggesting a different origin. Indeed, the [[Geminids]] meteor shower coincided with this landing event and produced elevated dust counts before, during and after the landing period.<ref name="results Jan 2014" /> The team reported that "if LADEE did encounter any lunar soil particles thrown up by the final descent of Chang'e 3, they would have been lost in the background of Geminid-produced events."<ref name="results Jan 2014" />
* The Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) team has been searching the data for exhaust gas species such as water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (CO and CO2) as well as nitrogen (N2).<ref name="results Jan 2014" />
* The Ultraviolet and Visible light Spectrometer (UVS) carried out a series of before/after observations looking for effects of both the landing and meteor showers. Analysis revealed an increase in sodium in the exosphere in connection with the Geminid meteor shower, as well as evidence of increased light scattering due to dust. The UVS also monitored emission lines of atomic oxygen, and saw emissions that may have indicated the presence of both iron (Fe) and titanium ([[Titanium|Ti]]), which were expected but they had never before been observed.<ref name="results Jan 2014" />
*[[Helium]], [[argon]] and [[neon]] gases were determined to be the most abundant species in the lunar exosphere.<ref name="update">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/ames/ladee/ladee-project-scientist-update-december-2014 |title=LADEE Project Scientist Update: December 2014 |publisher=NASA |first=Rick |last=Elphic |date=December 16, 2014 |access-date=July 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Texas 2014">{{cite conference |url=http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2014/pdf/2677.pdf |title=The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE): Initial Science Results |conference=45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. The Woodlands, Texas. March 17–21, 2014. |publisher=Lunar and Planetary Institute |first1=R. C. |last1=Elphic |first2=B. |last2=Hine |first3=G. T. |last3=Delory |first4=J. S. |last4=Salute |first5=S. |last5=Noble |first6=A. |last6=Colaprete |first7=M. |last7=Horanyi |first8=P. |last8=Mahaffy |author9=LADEE Science Team |display-authors=5 |date=2014}}</ref> The helium and neon were found to be supplied by the [[solar wind]].<ref name="update"/>
* On August 17, 2015, based on studies with the LADEE spacecraft, NASA scientists reported the detection of [[neon]] in the [[exosphere]] of the Moon.<ref name="NASA-20150817">{{cite web |last=Steigerwald |first=William |title=NASA's LADEE Spacecraft Finds Neon in Lunar Atmosphere |url=http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/ladee-lunar-neon |date=August 17, 2015 |work=[[NASA]] |access-date=August 18, 2015}}</ref>

==Team==
The team for LADEE included contributors from NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C., NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, [[Greenbelt, Maryland]], and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.<ref name="team" /> Guest investigators include those from the University of California, Berkeley;The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland; the University of Colorado; the University of Maryland; and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.<ref name="team" />

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center" heights="140px" mode="packed">
File:LADEE just prior to nosecone encapsulation.jpg|LADEE in August 2013, prior to being encapsulated into its [[Payload fairing|fairing]]
File:LADEE-Vibe-Z-Axis-4-TPrep 580x546.jpg|LADEE mounted on the vibration table prior to the start of vibration testing in January 2013
File:LADEEinCleanroom.jpg|LADEE in the [[clean room]] at Ames Research Center before its solar panels were attached
File:MCSB - LADEE.jpg|The Modular Common Spacecraft Bus that would become LADEE's bus, being tested at Ames in 2008. Note [[Apollo 11]] astronaut [[Buzz Aldrin]]'s signature at the top of the bus.
</gallery>
{{wide image|LADEE-FirstStarTrackerImagesFromMoon-20140208.gif|400px|First images of the Moon captured by LADEE's [[star tracker]], taken February 8, 2014.|align-cap=center}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Spaceflight|Solar System}}
* [[List of artificial objects on the Moon]]
* [[List of missions to the Moon]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="abc20140418">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/nasas-moon-orbiting-robot-crashes-23375574 |title=NASA's Moon-Orbiting Robot Crashes Down as Planned |work=ABC News |first=Marcia |last=Dunn |date=April 18, 2014 |access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="ag20130912">{{cite web |title=Phasing Loops and the LADEE trajectory |url=http://astrogatorsguild.com/?p=814 |publisher=The Astrogator's Guild |date=September 12, 2013 |access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="ag20131007">{{cite web |title=LADEE Update 10-07-13: Safe in Lunar Orbit after LOI-1 |url=http://astrogatorsguild.com/?p=1018 |publisher=The Astrogator's Guild |date=October 7, 2013 |access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="ag20131009">{{cite web |title=LADEE Trajectory Update 10-9-13: LOI-2 nominal |url=http://astrogatorsguild.com/?p=1061 |publisher=The Astrogator's Guild |date=October 9, 2013 |access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="airspace20131030">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.airspacemag.com/moon/2013/10/unplanned-but-controlled-experiments-the-role-of-serendipity/|title=Unplanned (But Controlled) Experiments: The Role of Serendipity|work=[[Air & Space/Smithsonian|Air & Space]]{{\}}The Once and Future Moon|first=Paul D.|last=Spudis|date=October 30, 2013|access-date=December 6, 2013|archive-date=December 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205051522/http://blogs.airspacemag.com/moon/2013/10/unplanned-but-controlled-experiments-the-role-of-serendipity/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="bbc-363105">{{cite news |title=Moon's tail spotted |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/363105.stm |work=[[BBC]] |date=June 9, 1999 |access-date=November 15, 2009}}</ref>

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<ref name="csmonitor20140418">{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0418/Moon-orbiter-LADEE-crashes-triumphantly-after-amazing-mission |title=Moon orbiter LADEE crashes triumphantly after 'amazing' mission |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |first=Liz |last=Fuller-Wright |date=April 18, 2014 |access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="esa-laser">{{cite web |title=Laser communications set for Moon mission |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Laser_communications_set_for_Moon_mission |publisher=[[ESA]] |date=July 7, 2013 |access-date=July 30, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="extension">{{cite news |url=http://www.nasa.gov/ames/nasa-extends-moon-exploring-satellite-mission/ |title=NASA Extends Moon Exploring Satellite Mission |work=NASA.gov |first=Rachel |last=Hoover |date=January 31, 2014 |access-date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="FAQ">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/LADEE-Press-Kit-08292013.pdf |title=Press Kit: Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Launch |work=NASA.gov |date=August 2013 |access-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="gsfc-ladee">{{cite web |url=http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=LADEE |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080813104358/http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=LADEE |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-08-13 |title=Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) |publisher=NASA |work=[[National Space Science Data Center]] Master Catalog}}</ref>

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<ref name="launchschedule">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ladee/launch/index.html |title=LADEE Launch |work=NASA.gov |first=Rob |last=Garner |date=April 2, 2014 |access-date=April 19, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="llcd">{{cite web |url=http://moon.nasa.gov/feature-display.cfm?ST_ID=2594 |title=Space Laser To Prove Increased Broadband Possible |publisher=NASA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219104613/http://moon.nasa.gov/feature-display.cfm?ST_ID=2594 |archive-date=December 19, 2013}}</ref>

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<ref name="nasa20130430">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/2013-04-30-pm-update.html |title=LADEE Project Manager Update |work=NASA.gov |first=Butler |last=Hine |date=April 30, 2013 |access-date=May 2, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa20140418">{{cite news |url=http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/april/nasa-completes-ladee-mission-with-planned-impact-on-moons-surface/ |title=NASA Completes LADEE Mission with Planned Impact on Moon's Surface |work=NASA.gov |first1=Dwayne |last1=Brown |first2=Rachel |last2=Hoover |first3=Dewayne |last3=Washington |date=April 18, 2014 |id=Release 14-113 |access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref>

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<ref name="nasa-lcd">{{cite web |title=NASA's First Laser Communication System Integrated, Ready for Launch |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/llcd-integrated.html |publisher=NASA |date=March 3, 2013 |access-date=July 30, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa-missionpages">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ladee/spacecraft/index.html |title=LADEE Spacecraft |date=December 17, 2015 |publisher=NASA}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa-overview">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ladee/mission-overview/ |title=LADEE Mission Overview |work=NASA.gov |date=September 6, 2013 |access-date=December 4, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa-ready">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/content/ladee-project-manager-update-ladee-ready-for-launch/ |title=LADEE Project Manager Update: LADEE Ready for Launch |work=NASA.gov |first=Butler |last=Hine |date=August 31, 2013 |access-date=September 3, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa-role">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-goddard-plays-major-role-in-nasa-lunar-mission/ |title=NASA Goddard Plays Major Role in NASA Lunar Mission |work=NASA.gov |first=Claire |last=Saravia |date=August 21, 2013 |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa-science">{{cite web |url=https://science.nasa.gov/missions/ladee/ |title=Missions - LADEE - NASA Science |publisher=NASA}}</ref>

<ref name="nbc">{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/science/watch-nasa-ladee-moon-launch-east-coast-online-8C10989090 |title=Watch NASA's LADEE moon launch on the East Coast – or online |work=NBC News |first=Alan |last=Boyle |date=September 6, 2013 |access-date=September 12, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nsf20130906">{{cite web |last=Graham |first=William |title=Orbital's Minotaur V launches LADEE mission to the Moon |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/09/orbitals-minotaur-v-launch-ladee-mission-moon/ |publisher=[[NASAspaceflight.com]] |date=September 6, 2013 |access-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="nyt20140418">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/19/science/space/nasa-lunar-explorer.html |title=With Planned Crash, NASA Lunar Mission Comes to End |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Kenneth |last=Chang |date=April 18, 2014 |access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="parabolic 20131022">{{cite news |url=http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/10/22/nasa-laser-system-sets-record-data-transmissions-moon/ |title=NASA Laser System Sets Record with Data Transmissions From Moon |work=Parabolic Arc |first=Doug |last=Messier |date=October 22, 2013 |access-date=December 19, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="propsow">{{cite web |url=http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/eps/eps_data/137365-SOL-001-003.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504231834/https://prod.nais.nasa.gov/eps/eps_data/137365-SOL-001-003.doc |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 4, 2015 |title=Statement of Work - LADEE Spacecraft Propulsion System |publisher=NASA ARC |date=August 27, 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="ref002">{{cite journal |journal=Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI |date=2005 |url=http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2005/pdf/1899.pdf |title=A Dynamic Fountain Model for Lunar Dust |first1=Timothy J. |last1=Stubbs |first2=Richard R. |last2=Vondrak |first3=William M. |last3=Farrell}}</ref>

<ref name="ref001">{{cite web |url=http://www.livescience.com/space/scienceastronomy/080418-strange-moon.html |title=Strange Things Happen at Full Moon |work=LiveScience |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015195451/http://www.livescience.com/space/scienceastronomy/080418-strange-moon.html}}</ref>

<ref name="ref003">{{cite news |title=Astronomers discover that moon has long, comet-like tail |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9906/07/lunar.sodium.trail/ |work=[[CNN]] |date=June 7, 1999 |access-date=December 18, 2007}}</ref>

<ref name="results Jan 2014">{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Elphic |title=LADEE Project Scientist Update: Milestones, Maneuvers and Moisture? |date=January 31, 2014 |publisher=Ames Research Center - NASA |url=http://www.nasa.gov/ames/ladee-project-scientist-update-milestones-maneuvers-and-moisture/ |work=NASA |access-date=February 21, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="sandt20131002">{{cite news |url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/China-Launches-Lunar-Mission-234098621.html |title=China Launches Lunar Mission |work=[[Sky & Telescope]] |first=Emily |last=Poore |date=December 2, 2013 |access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="sdc20130909">{{cite news |last=Kramer |first=Miriam |title=NASA Spacecraft Cruising to Moon With Novel Design |url=http://www.space.com/22711-nasa-moon-spacecraft-design-technology.html |newspaper=Space.com |date=September 9, 2013 |access-date=September 21, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="sdc20131007">{{cite web |last=Kramer |first=Miriam |title=NASA's New Moon Probe Enters Lunar Orbit |url=http://www.space.com/23102-nasa-moon-probe-ladee-lunar-orbit.html |publisher=Space.com |date=October 7, 2013 |access-date=October 18, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="sfn-20130907">{{cite news |url=http://spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/ladee/130907launch/ |title=Moon mission blasts off, overcomes pointing problem |first=Stephen |last=Clark |publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=September 7, 2013 |access-date=September 11, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="sf1-20130921">{{cite web |title=LADEE - Mission and Trajectory Design |url=http://www.spaceflight101.com/ladee-mission-and-trajectory-design.html |publisher=Spaceflight 101 |access-date=September 21, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="sodium">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/lunar-atmosphere.html |title=Is There an Atmosphere on the Moon? |date=April 12, 2013 |publisher=NASA |access-date=September 11, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="space20131121">{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/23675-china-moon-lander-trouble-nasa-ladee.html |title=China's 1st Moon Lander May Cause Trouble for NASA Lunar Dust Mission |work=Space.com |first=Leonard |last=David |date=November 21, 2013 |access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="spaceref-27450">{{cite web |url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=27450 |title=NASA Solicitation: Instruments for LADEE Lunar Mission |publisher=SpaceRef |date=March 25, 2008 |access-date=July 30, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

<ref name="space-trouble">{{cite news |first=Leonard |last=David |title=China's 1st Moon Lander May Cause Trouble for NASA Lunar Dust Mission |date=November 21, 2013 |url=http://m.space.com/23675-china-moon-lander-trouble-nasa-ladee.html |work=Space |quote=LADEE also has the potential to measure dust that might be lofted above the lunar surface by the Chang'e 3 touchdown. |access-date=December 7, 2013 |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203163440/http://m.space.com/23675-china-moon-lander-trouble-nasa-ladee.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="spf101-traj">{{cite web |url=http://www.spaceflight101.com/ladee-mission-and-trajectory-design.html |title=LADEE - Mission and Trajectory Design |work=Spaceflight 101 |first=Patrick |last=Blau |access-date=April 19, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="st20130907">{{cite news |last=Dunn |first=Marcia |title=NASA launches robotic explorer to moon from Va.; trouble develops early in much-viewed flight |url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/222709711.html |newspaper=Star Tribune |date=September 7, 2013 |access-date=September 7, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908235758/http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/222709711.html |archive-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="storm">{{cite web |url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/07dec_moonstorms/ |title=Moon Storms |publisher=Science.nasa.gov |date=December 7, 2005 |access-date=September 9, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="tail">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars/features/magnetotail_080416.html |title=The Moon and the Magnetotail |publisher=NASA |date=May 16, 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="team">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ladee/team/index.html |title=Ladee Team - Nasa |publisher=Nasa.gov |date=August 27, 2013 |access-date=September 9, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name="townsendbrown">{{cite web |first=Robert |last=Nelson |url=http://www.rexresearch.com/brown1/brown1.htm#22 |title=Thomas Townsend Brown: Scientific Notebooks, Vol. 1 |publisher=Rex Research}}</ref>

<ref name="voanews20140418">{{cite news |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/robotic-mission-kicks-up-lunar-dust/1896373.html |title=Robotic Mission Kicks Up Lunar Dust |work=[[Voice of America]] |first=Rosanne |last=Skirble |date=April 18, 2014 |access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref>

<ref name="nasa20211207">{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-laser-communications-tech-science-experiment-safely-in-space-0 |title=NASA's Laser Communications Tech, Science Experiment Safely in Space |publisher=NASA/GSFC |date=December 7, 2021 |access-date=February 24, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
{{commons category|LADEE}}
* [https://nasa.gov/ladee NASA's LADEE Mission site]
* [https://science.nasa.gov/missions/ladee/ LADEE at NASA Science]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120218222050/http://www.ll.mit.edu/news/lunarlasercomm.html MIT's Lincoln Lab, lasercomm terminal development]
* [http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/214663main_1015-Snook_Lunar_AIAA_Feb_08.pdf NASA's Lunar Science Program] - February 27, 2008 - Kelly Snook
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLpLa32fA9w Overview for K-8 students] (YouTube video)

[[Category:Space probes launched in 2013]]
[[Category:Spacecraft that orbited the Moon]]
[[Category:Spacecraft that impacted the Moon]]
[[Category:Laser communication in space]]
[[Category:Missions to the Moon]]
[[Category:NASA space probes]]
[[Category:Destroyed space probes]]
[[Category:2014 on the Moon]]

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