The week has been a very busy one for NASA, and after yesterday’s historical launch of a rocket launched into space in Australia observe the constellations Alpha Centauri A and B; Today, a small CubSat was sent to the Moon as part of the Artemis program. A cube the size of a microwave and weighing 25 kg will test the lunar elliptical orbit.as part of the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE).
It will be an explorer or reconnaissance route for the Gateway, a space station that will orbit the moon, as part of the Artemis program, which aims to return a person to a natural satellite. CAPSTONE will help mitigate the risk of future spacecraft by testing innovative navigation technologies as well as testing their orbital dynamics.since it will be the one that the astronauts will use.
This orbit consists of a seven-day journey that the spacecraft takes to circle the Moon, allowing vehicles to get closer to its surface. The goal is to test the path that the Gateway will take on its path.. BUT NASA says that CAPSTONE is currently in lower Earth orbit and has a four-month journey to reach its destination. Your path may be monitored in real timeon a 3D map provided by the space agency.
The small cube mimics the flight of Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon rocket. Shortly after launch, The Lunar Photon has separated from its second stage, and over the next few days, the engine will periodically turn on to accelerate the vehicle out of lower Earth orbit.. This is followed by the final separation of the CubeSat to follow its trajectory towards the Moon.
The final stage of CAPSTONE’s journey will be provided by its own system of proportions, as well as gravity from the Sun to the Moon. O Using gravity will drastically reduce the fuel consumption of a small device..
