NASA | Return with LRO

Kathy Petty shares her journey from dreaming of working at NASA to leading the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project. She discusses the project's goals, including mapping the moon and searching for resources like water ice. Kathy expresses her hopes for the LRO to exceed its expected lifespan and contribute to human exploration and life on Earth.

What inspired Kathy Petty to pursue a career in engineering?

• A school science project

• Watching the Apollo missions on TV

• Reading science fiction books

• Her parents' careers

What is the primary goal of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project?

• To study the sun's effects on the moon

• To establish a permanent base on the moon

• To map the moon and search for resources

• To send humans to Mars

How many instruments and technology demonstrators does the LRO instrument suite include?

• Six instruments and one technology demonstrator

• Five instruments and three technology demonstrators

• Four instruments and two technology demonstrators

• Seven instruments and no technology demonstrators

What is the current phase of the LRO project as described by Kathy?

• Designing the spacecraft

• Analyzing data from the moon

• Launching the spacecraft

• Testing and assembly

What is Kathy's hope for the future impact of the LRO project?

• To create a new type of spacecraft

• To enable faster human exploration

• To find extraterrestrial life

• To discover new planets