In a space mission that may prove to be one of most action-packed, NASA has launched a lunar satellite earlier today  that is designed to launch a rocket booster at the moon. The resulting explosion will help NASA analyze for the presence of water on the lunar planet.

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will embark on a four-month journey to the moon, after which it will fire a rocket that will trigger an explosion six miles above the moon. Scientists are interested in determining whether water is hidden on the moon’s South Pole.

The moon, interestingly enough, rotates on it’s axis in approximately the same amount of time that it takes to orbit around the Earth. Because of this, only one side of the moon can be seen from Earth at any given time. The other side has always been cloaked in mystery for astronomical scientists.

If water is found on the moon, it can prove to be a valuable source of oxygen for life support and hydrogen for rocket fuel, and can jumpstart space exploration and study.