Twin GRAIL probes lift-off for the moon

The probes launched from Cape Canaveral on a mission to discover what's beneath the lunar surface.

Scientists have long pondered over the internal composition of the moon and it is generally believed that it is comprised of material that was jettisoned from the Earth after a collision with a body the size of Mars in the early days of the solar system.

We haven't been back to the moon since the Apollo missions. People say 'there's nothing to see' which isn't true since the same side always faces Earth and we have never been to 'The Dark Side.'

The movies Apollo 18 give one point of view on why we do not go back, let alone let other nations go there?

• Why did the first astronauts have to be in isolated quarantine for three months?


• Why is it illegal for anyone (person or nation) to own moon rocks unless it was 'given' by the U.S.


• Why, 40 years after the mission, did Nasa pursue an astronaut  to get back the camera he used on the moon; actually they were after the film itself?


• Why can't retired astronauts talk about their moon missions, unless it is taped (not live) with Nasa reps standing by?

Well, i think just incase there was something in the for example moon dust.. just say radiation or some kind of particle that might spead some sort of disease.. they just didn't want to put us in danger, they didn't know what was on the moon, this was so long ago..

I also think it is National security because of the placement of satelites that have the eyes on our enemies or potentials, theres alot of top secret information that it's not wanted into the wrong hands, heard by the wrong ears.. something along that line

It will be interesting to see what they come up with from the moon trip (I know it won't be cheese!)

"Why is it illegal for anyone (person or nation) to own moon rocks unless it was 'given' by the U.S."

Great question Nan.  I can't answer that.  I guess the flag makes it US soil.......see response to 2nd quote too

"Why can't retired astronauts talk about their moon missions, unless it is taped (not live) with Nasa reps standing by?"

Because they never went?  What do you reckon on this?  Therefore, the flag isn't there and the first quote is made to sound like they did go to the moon.

So many conspiracy theories on this.  I did see a prog. recently (think I mentioned it in an earlier post) but they could not recreate the film of the astronauts on the moon therefore, they presumed that they did go.

blue

Yea, i too saw a show were they were trying to say that the USA landing on the moon was faked, analyzing the flag and the astronauts movements in the motion pictures, they couldn't duplicate it, but were doubting it..

I have heard all the conspiracies and some seem like they could be valid.
The movie Capricorn 1 was made during a flurry of faked moon landing conspiracies.
I read that pieces of the moon are considered 'National Treasures' and cannot be owned.
Here are two recent stories-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13907120

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13480815

I never heard of a Russian spacecraft crashing on the moon, just before we landed in 1969.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/5737854/Russian-spacecraft-landed-on-moon-hours-before-Americans.html