LDEX

Lunar Dust Experiment

The Lunar Dust Experiment (LDEX) was part of the LADEE, a robotic mission that orbited Earth's Moon to gather detailed information about the lunar atmosphere and determine whether dust was in the lunar sky. LDEX collected and analyzed samples of any lunar dust particles in the tenuous atmosphere. These measurements helped scientists address an outstanding science topic: was lunar dust, electrically charged by solar ultraviolet light, responsible for the pre-sunrise horizon glow that the Apollo astronauts saw?

Science Target:

Moon (Earth's)

Science Focus:

Interstellar Dust, Lunar Surface

Instrument Type:

In situ: Particles