The National Aeronautic and Space Administration launched a pair of lunar probes June 18 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., as the first part of a plan to build a base on the surface of the moon by 2020.
The two probes, called LRO for Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS for Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, will help scientists learn new information about the surface of the moon.
LRO and LCROSS have two different purposes, but both will help NASA figure out where to build a moon base. The mission also comes at a time of change for NASA, which is retiring old spacecraft and preparing for new rounds of manned space missions.
Missions will help plans for humans to live on the moon
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