NASA's Artemis I CubeSat ArgoMoon: First Moon Photo (extreme magnification)

NASA's Artemis I CubeSat ArgoMoon: First Moon Photo (extreme magnification)

This image was provided by ASI, the Italian Space Agency. The photo was taken by the Italian CubeSat ArgoMoon on Nov. 17, 2022.  It was released during the launch of Artemis 1 from the second stage of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) on Nov. 16, 2022. The CubeSat is managed by Argotec. 

ArgoMoon, developed by the Italian company Argotec and sponsored by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Italy’s national space agency, will perform autonomous visual-based proximity operations around the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), the in-space stage of SLS, that provides the propulsion to send Orion on a lunar trajectory. The CubeSat will use high-definition cameras and advanced imaging software to record images of the ICPS and later of the Earth and the Moon for historical documentation, provide mission data on the deployment of other CubeSats, and test optical communication capabilities between the CubeSat and Earth. ArgoMoon will use a hybrid micropropulsion system (MiPS) that combines green mono-propellant and cold gas propulsion in a single system to provide attitude control and orbital maneuvering using a small amount of power.

ArgoMoon’s mission is a forerunner of technologies for deep space application that can be used for inspection of satellites not originally designed to be serviced, without the involvement of the ground segment.

Note: This photo has been reprocessed using artificial intelligence (AI) model to improve the quality and resolution as much as possible.

Image Credit: NASA/ASI

Image Prcoessing: PipploIMP

Image Date: Nov. 17, 2022

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