NASA bombs moon in search of water

On October 9, 2009, NASA crashed the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, into a crater on the moon's south pole to search for evidence of water ice.(AP Photo)

US Space agency NASA will bomb the moon on October 9, 2009, in an effort to confirm the presence of water ice on the lunar pole. (NASA Photo)

A rocket crashed into the Moon's south pole at 5 pm Indian Standard Time. NASA planned the bombing after India's Chandrayaan-1 brought back clinching evidence of water on the moon. (NASA Photo)

This exercise - which cost NASA 500-million dollars - was the most expensive search for water till date. According to reports, pictures of the impact zone were beamed back live to Earth, but the video imagery did not show any signs of a flash. (NASA Photo)

NASA targetted an area near the moon's south pole which is the "dark side" of the moon, in order to observe material that has been frozen in place for two billion years. (NASA Photo)

This NASA image shows a close-up of the lunar south pole with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) target crater Cabeus at bottom-center. (AP Photo)

The rocket smashed into the moon at 9,000 km per hour, more than seven times the speed of sound. (NASA Photo)

The explosion had the force of 1.3 metric tons of TNT and threw the lunar dust to a distance of 10 kilimetres out of the crater. (NASA Photo)

Scientists think that the hydrogen detected in the lunar soil may be icy leftovers from ancient comet impacts, or accumulations from the solar wind. NASA wants to know if this material can be tapped if needed. (NASA Photo)

Details from the results of the experiment will help verify recent spectrographic analyses of the moon, showing there's more water below the lunar surface than was originally thought. (NASA Photo)

An empty rocket hit the crater Cabeus and create a minicrater about half the size of an Olympic pool.

In this picture, we see, Peter Schultz in front of the Vertical Gun Range at the research center in Moffett Field, California. No one personifies the blow-em-up in the name of science more than Schultz. He's a regular cosmic crasher in the name of science- and jollies. (AP Photo)

The dust plume would be visible through ordinary telescopes. Indian scientists will observe the lunar debris cloud from Mount Abu. (NASA Photo)