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Data trove, say European scientists

DARMSTADT (Germany): The SMART-1 spacecraft sent back an unexpectedly rich data haul that could shed light on the moon's origins and evolution before its three-year voyage ended in a planned crash on the lunar surface, European space scientists said on Monday.

The mission's primary purpose was to test a new, efficient propulsion system and better spacecraft automation for future interplanetary missions. But successes in lowering the craft's orbit around the moon meant a closer and better look at surface, they said.

``It was really a great mission for the agency,'' mission manager Gerhard Schwehm said at the European Space Agency's mission control center in Darmstadt, Germany. During its months in lunar orbit, ground controllers managed to shrink the orbit so that the craft went around every five or six hours instead of every 14 hours. That multiplied the amount of data from its X-ray and infrared spectrometers scanning the surface below.

AP

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