Fly Me to the Moon

McALLEN - Flying to the moon maybe reserved for lucky astronauts, but for everyone else at least sending your namesake is possible with a new NASA program.

A microchip with names will be onboard a new lunar orbiter set to launch in late 2008 that will study the moon for a planned human-staffed outpost.

NASA has established a Web site where anyone can submit their names to the database for flight on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter being built at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Names can be submitted at www.nasa.gov/lro.

"Everyone who sends their name to the moon, like I'm doing, becomes part of the next wave of lunar explorers," Cathy Peddie, deputy project manager for the orbiter, said in a press release. "The LRO mission is the first step in NASA's plans to return humans to the moon by 2020, and your name can reach there first. How cool is that?"

The orbiter will "provide the most comprehensive data set ever returned from the moon." It will map the moon's features and study available resources, according to NASA.

On board the orbiter rocket is also the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. With this mission, scientist will blow a crater in the moon to study how craters are formed.

Names will be collected through June 27, 2008. The orbiter is scheduled to launch in October.

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Sean Gaffney covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.