LADEE spacecraft over the Moon. Computer illustration of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft in orbit around the moon. LADEE was launched on 7th September 2013. During its seven-month mission, it orbited the Moon's equator using its instruments to study the exosphere and dust in the Moon's vicinity. On 18th October 2013, LADEE's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) pulsed laser system conducted a successful test, transmitting data between the spacecraft and its ground station on Earth at a distance of 385,000 kilometres at a download rate of 622 Mbps, six times faster than previous state-of-the-art radio systems flown to the moon.