On September 10, 2011, NASA launched the GRAIL mission, a scientific endeavor aimed at studying the moon's gravitational field and interior structure. GRAIL stands for Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory. By mapping variations in the moon's gravity, scientists could learn more about the dense materials beneath its surface, which were formed by asteroid impacts from billions of years ago. These dense regions, known as mass concentrations or "mascons," create uneven gravitational pull that affects spacecraft orbiting the moon. Understanding these gravitational variations helps researchers uncover the moon's geological history and internal composition. The GRAIL mission consisted of two identical spacecraft, named Ebb and Flow, which flew in tandem around the moon. Both were launched on the same Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and reached lunar orbit nearly four months later. Over the next nine months, they collected detailed data on the moon's gravitational field before NASA concluded the mission. The two probes were intentionally crashed into the lunar surface to end their operational life. The moon's gravitational field is not uniform, largely due to these mascons. Though the moon may appear as a cold, gray rock from afar, its density varies significantly across its surface, creating a "lumpy" gravity field. To study this in detail, each of the twin GRAIL spacecraft was equipped with three instruments: the Lunar Gravity Ranging System, a Radio Science Beacon, and a camera called MoonKam. These tools allowed scientists to create highly detailed maps of the moon's gravitational anomalies and surface features. In addition to its scientific goals, the GRAIL mission had an educational component. MoonKam, the imaging system on board the spacecraft, was a student-led project designed to inspire young people to explore science and space. It was developed by undergraduate students at the University of California, San Diego, in partnership with the Sally Ride Science foundation. The names Ebb and Flow were also chosen by fourth-grade students in Montana through a national competition. The mission, costing $496 million, operated in a very low orbit, coming as close as 30 miles to the lunar surface. NASA intentionally crashed the probes into a crater near the moon's north pole in December 2012 to avoid an uncontrolled impact near historic Apollo landing sites.