Moon Dust Mission: How NASA's LADEE Spacecraft Works (Infographic)

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Infographic: How NASA's probe of the moon's atmosphere works.
The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer will uncover details of the moon's thin atmosphere. (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

NASA's tiny LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) satellite orbits the moon, taking measurements that reveal the nature of the tenuous lunar atmosphere. A laser communications system will also be tested. The 844-pound (383 kilograms) LADEE moon dust spacecraft built on an inexpensive framework that can also be used for other missions.

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Karl Tate
Karl Tate
Space.com contributor

Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork).  Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web.  He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.