WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it is preparing to send a small spacecraft to the moon in 2011 to assess the lunar atmosphere and its surface dust.

Called the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or LADEE, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the mission will help researchers understand how future exploration might shape the lunar environment and how the environment might affect future explorers.

"LADEE represents a low-cost approach to science missions, enabling faster science return and more frequent missions," said S. Pete Worden, director of NASA's Ames Research Center in California. "These measurements will provide scientific insight into the lunar environment, and give our explorers a clearer understanding of what they'll be up against as they set up the first outpost and begin the process of settling the solar system."

NASA said the cost of the spacecraft is expected to be approximately $80 million.