Photos: NASA's LADEE Moon Dust Mission In Pictures

Miriam Kramer and Minotaur V Rocket Carrying LADEE Mission

SPACE.com staff writer Miriam Kramer looks on at the Minotaur V rocket that will propel NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer mission. [Read the Full Story Behind the Photo]

Full-Size Model of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer

A 1:1 scale model of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer spacecraft on display at the space agency's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Image released on Sept. 6, 2013. [Read the Full Story Behind the Photo]

Visibility Map for LADEE Launch

This NASA map shows the regions of visibility for the LADEE moon probe launch from Wallops Island, Va., on Sept. 6, 2013 at 11:27 p.m. EDT (0327 GMT).

Inside NASA's Moon Atmosphere Probe (Infographic)

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer will uncover details of the moon's thin atmosphere. [See full infographic.]

LADEE Moon Probe's Laser Communications Experiment

An artist's conception of NASA's moon-bound LADEE spacecraft using lasers to communicate with Earth. [Read the Full Story]

Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration on LADEE

NASA's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) components are seen integrated onto the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft. [Read the Full Story]

LADEE Fires Thrusters Artist's Concept

An artist's concept of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft firing its maneuvering thrusters in order to maintain a safe altitude as it orbits the moon.

LADEE Ready for Launch

NASA is making final preparations to launch the lunar LADEE probe at 11:27 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 6, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Image released Sept. 5, 2013.

Wide-Angle View of Minotaur V Rocket

A wide-angle view of an inert Minotaur V launch vehicle is erected on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's pad 0B at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during a pathfinder exercise for NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) Mission.

LADEE Spacecraft on Top of Minotaur V Launch Vehicle

The LADEE spacecraft in the nose-cone at the top of the full Minotaur V launch vehicle stack. LADEE is the first spacecraft designed, developed, built, integrated and tested at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.