In the night of 15 to 16 November, the Smart-1 space probe is scheduled to enter an orbit around the Moon. This operation is not without danger, as it means traversing an area where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Moon nearly cancel themselves and even a small deviation off course might send the spacecraft on a crash course towartds the Moon, or Earth, or on a path leading into deep space. ESA will announce the result of the Smart-1 lunar orbit insertion at a press conference on 16 November at 07:00 GMT to be broadcast live on ESA TV.
Today's programme provides pre-event footage for the event.
Smart-1 was launched in September 2003, and it has used solar energy and its ion-electric engine to fly to the Moon. Smart-1 is a technology mission featuring new types of science instruments, and new ways of spacecraft operations. Its success would make it a precursor for ESA's next-generation interplanetary missions.
The TV Exchange includes background footage and 3-D graphics on Smart-1, its instr

Smart 1 - Arriving at the Moon
TC 10:00:44
OFF 1 (Images of Smart-1 launch, animation of orbit):
The European Space AgencyÕs Smart 1 mission to the Moon has now reached a
crucial and dangerous stage. Launched on an Ariane 5 spaceship on September 27th
2003, Smart 1 travelled in an ever widening orbit of the Earth, until eventually it came
into reach of the moonÕs gravitational pull.
TC 10:01:06
ITV with Giusseppe RACCA, Project Manager, Smart 1
ÒWe are really now approaching a very interesting area between Earth and Moon,
itÕs an area that we could really call ÔNo ManÕs LandÕÕ, because we are not tied to the
gravity field of the Earth anymore, and we are still not yet tied to the gravity field of
the Moon. We are in a very unstable region. This is the first time that a spacecraft is
actually sitting in this region. This region is so unstable that anything that would hit
the spacecraft would send it off track.Ó
TC 10:01:43
OFF 2 (G/VÕs moon, live shots Apollo missions):
Smart 1 is EuropeÕs fir