After two weeks of manoeuvres started on 19 June and concluded on 2 July 2006, the impact is now set to occur on the near side and most probably at 05:41 UT (07:41 CEST) on 3 September 2006.


 
This animated artist's impression depicts the last moments before lunar impact as it would have appeared from SMART-1.


 
This animated artist's impression shows the SMART-1 spacecraft taking images of the lunar surface at close distance.


 
Electrons attracted into the discharge chamber collide with xenon atoms from the propellant gas supply, making charged atoms (ions). Current-carrying coils, inside and outside the doughnut-shaped discharge chamber, sustain a magnetic field oriented like the spokes of a wheel. By the Hall effect, ions and electrons swerving in opposite directions in the magnetic field create an electric field. This expels the xenon ions in a propulsive jet. Other emitted electrons then neutralize the xenon, producing the blue jet.


 
The European Space Agency’s SMART-1 was one of three payloads on Ariane Flight 162. The generic Ariane-5 lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, at 2014 hrs local time (2314 hrs GMT) on 27 September (01:14 Central European Summer time on 28 September).



Release date: 5 septembre 2006