LCROSS is tainted

http://www.spaceweather.com/
06 October

http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://skyrocket.de/space/doc_stage/centaur.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur_(rocket_stage)
Most Centaurs launched on Atlas have excess propellants, ranging
from hundreds to thousands of pounds
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/05oct_lcrossvg.htm
The Centaur rocket will strike first, transforming 2200 kg of mass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LCROSS
nominal impact mass of 2305 kg
LCROSS suffered a malfunction on August 22, depleting half of its
fuel and leaving very little fuel margin in the spacecraft
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av020/090610lcross.html
Centaur will range from a minimum of 4,958 pounds (2,249 kg) to a
maximum of 5,216 pounds (2,366 kg). Nominal impact mass for the
Centaur is 5,081 pounds (2,305 kg).

Centaurs burn liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Numbers set lie to a
dry Centaur stage - though much of the "signal" was lost in route (309
lbs propellant), or not! It appears that some 100 kg of
water-equivalent signal is still tanked.

Of course, I could be wrong. Let's see how much water is "liberated"
on impact very early Friday morning.

--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
(Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/lajos.htm#a2