The probe's impact is expected to create a plume of debris that may vault 40 miles (65 kilometers) above the moon's surface.
The shepherding spacecraft will then fly through that plume. Its instruments will analyze the cloud to look for signs of water ice and other compounds.
"It's a big swath of material that we're kicking up, so it will give us a definitive understanding of what we have there," said Dan Andrews, the LCROSS project manager, at the news conference.
Moon Base
The mission will kick-start a new phase of unmanned lunar exploration, which will set the stage for humans' return to the moon by 2020, a goal set by the Bush Administration.
The LCROSS shepherding craft will make detailed maps of the lunar surface to identify possible landing sites for the planned return of U.S. astronauts.
"This is the first mission out of the gate for our program," said Butler Hine, deputy program manager for the Robotic Lunar Exploration program based at the Ames Research Center.
"This will create the fundamental maps that we need to accomplish the human mission."
Scientists also hope to identify resources on the moon that could eventually be used to establish a human presence the moon.
The presence of water is considered key to setting up a lunar base. Oxygen on the moon could be used as breathable air and as a component in rocket propellant.
"These resources can make future human occupation much more cost-effective," Hine said.
"If we can live off the land and use the resources that are available there, rather than lift them out of the Earth's gravity, then it becomes much less expensive."
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