NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission Launch | Rocket Lab

NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission Launch | Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab successfully launched NASA's CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) satellite to the Moon aboard their Electron rocket. Liftoff occurred at 5:55 AM EDT (09:55 UTC) on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, from Launch Complex 1B at Rocket Lab’s launch facility on Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. This mission made Electron the smallest rocket to launch a payload toward the Moon and the first lunar flight to lift off from New Zealand. The second stage of the Electron placed the payload in an initial low Earth orbit. To propel the 25 kg (55 lbs) CubeSat to the moon, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon—optimized especially for Lunar missions—will give the payload the extra thrust needed to get it to the Moon. Powered by green-hypergolic propellants, its onboard Hypercurie engine will place the CAPSTONE satellite on a ballistic lunar transfer orbit. Once in the vicinity of the Moon, the CAPSTONE satellite will use its onboard propulsion systems to place itself in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around it.

This is the first mission to launch that directly supports NASA’s Artemis program.

Like Gateway, CAPSTONE continues the tradition of NASA's commercial partnerships, including American small businesses. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California, operated by Advanced Space, and was launched by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/capstone

Image Credit: Rocket Lab

Caption Credit: NASASpaceflight.com

Capture Date: June 28, 2022

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Artemis #Moon #CAPSTONE #CubeSat #RocketLab #PeterBeck #Rocket #Electron #Cislunar #Orbit #Technology #Engineering #Navigation #Experiment #LunarGateway #Gateway #DeepSpace #Spaceflight #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education

The Pathfinders of Mars Exploration | NASA's JPL

The Pathfinders of Mars Exploration | NASA's JPL

It started with JPL agreeing to land something on Mars—cheaply—and do it in a radically different way. This is how the era NASA called “Faster, Better, Cheaper” began. The documentary film “The Pathfinders” tells the story of a small group of engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who did not heed warnings that the audacious challenge of landing on Mars with airbags would likely not be a career-enhancing move.

From relying on a parachute that could not be tested in a way to match the Martian atmosphere to receiving the late addition of an unwanted rover that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a toy store, the Mars Pathfinder mission was a doubter’s dream, taken on by a mostly young group of engineers and scientists guided by a grizzled manager known for his maverick ways. 

“The Pathfinders” retraces the journey of this daring mission to Mars that captured the imagination of people around the world with its dramatic landing and its tiny rover—the first wheels ever to roll on Mars.

Video Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 1 hour

Release Date: June 30, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Pathfinder #Rover #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #SolarSystem #Exploration #DanGoldin #History #Documentary #STEM #Education

NASA's Space to Ground: Halftime Report | Week of July 1, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground: Halftime Report | Week of July 1, 2022

NASA's Space to Ground is your weekly update on what's happening aboard the International Space Station (ISS). 

Learn more about the important research being operated on ISS:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on ISS:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 3 minutes, 53 seconds

Release Date: July 1, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Axiom1 #Starliner #CommercialResupply #Astronauts #Cosmonauts #FlightEngineers #HumanSpaceflight #EVA #Spacewalks #Science #Technology #Engineering #Research #Experiments #UnitedStates #Canada #Europe #Italy #Italia #Japan #日本 #Russia #Россия #International #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Mars Perseverance & Curiosity Rovers—New June 2022 Images | JPL

NASA's Mars Perseverance & Curiosity Rovers—New June 2022 Images | JPL

Mars2020 - Sol 483 - Mastcam-Z

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill

MSL - Sol 3514 - Mastcam

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Mars2020 - Sol 476 - Watson

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Kevin M. Gill

MSL - Sol 3517 - Mastcam

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Mars2020 - Sol 477 - Mastcam-Z

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill

Mars2020 - Sol 477 - Mastcam-Z

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill

Mars2020 - Sol 477 - Mastcam-Z

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill

Curiosity Rover June 27, 2022 Update:

Scientists using data from NASA’s Curiosity rover measured the total organic carbon—a key component in the molecules of life—in Martian rocks for the first time.

“Total organic carbon is one of several measurements [or indices] that help us understand how much material is available as feedstock for prebiotic chemistry and potentially biology,” said Jennifer Stern of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We found at least 200 to 273 parts per million of organic carbon. This is comparable to or even more than the amount found in rocks in very low-life places on Earth, such as parts of the Atacama Desert in South America, and more than has been detected in Mars meteorites.”

Source: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Perseverance Rover June 23, 2022 Update:

"Perseverance’s exploration of the Hawksbill Gap area of the Jezero Delta continues!  The rover has abraded at two different locations over the last few weeks.  First, the rover abraded in the Devil’s Tanyard area.  Unfortunately, the crumbly rocks at Devils Tanyard were broken and moved by the force of the abrasion. Nevertheless, the team was able to use the SuperCam and Mastcam-Z instruments to gather valuable scientific data of the abrasion patch and surrounding area."

"The rover then made its way up the delta to abrade at Hogwallow Flats, an area nicknamed “the Bacon Strip” by the team due to its light-colored striped rocks, which look like a strip of bacon in images taken by the Hi-Rise orbiter.  The rocks at Hogwallow Flats appear to be very fine-grained, which is exciting to scientists on the mission as fine-grained rocks may have the best chance at preserving evidence of life."

Source: Lydia Kivrak, Student Collaborator at University of Florida

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: November 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit mars.nasa.gov

Image Release Dates: June 23-30, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #Astrobiology #Geology #Jezero #Crater #MountSharp #GaleCrater #Perseverance #Curiosity #Rovers #Robotics #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #CitizenScience #STEM #Education

What's Up for July 2022 | Skywatching Tips from NASA

What's Up for July 2022 | Skywatching Tips from NASA

What are some skywatching highlights in July 2022? 

The naked-eye planets of dawn—Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn—dominate the sky, appearing more spread out each morning. Next, if you're feeling the July heat, note the origin of "the dog days" of summer has to do with the bright star Sirius. Finally, if you can find a certain teapot-shaped pattern of stars in the evening, you'll be looking toward the center of the Milky Way.

Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Duration: 3 minutes, 35 seconds

Release Date: June 30, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Science #Skywatching #Earth #Moon #Planets #Saturn #Jupiter #Mars #Venus #SolarSystem #Stars #Star #Sirius #Constellations #MilkyWay #Galaxy #JPL #Pasadena #California #Skywatching #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Artemis I Moon Rocket: We Are Capable

NASA's Artemis I Moon Rocket: We Are Capable

Twin solid rocket boosters that will produce a combined 7.2 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, a towering core stage, and the only human-rated spacecraft in the world capable of deep-space travel—together, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft stand ready to usher in a new chapter of exploration. Now fully assembled at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SLS and Orion will soon launch on the uncrewed Artemis I mission around the Moon, paving the way for astronauts. Artemis I represents a new generation of spaceflight capabilities and partnerships that will take humans back to the Moon—this time, to stay.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i/

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-1

Read the Artemis Plan (74-page PDF Free Download): 

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/artemis_plan-20200921.pdf

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS)

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/index.html

NASA's Orion Spacecraft

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/about/index.html

Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Producer: Lisa Allen, Alysia Lee

Writer & Director: Paul Wizikowski

Duration: 5 minutes

Release Date: June 30, 2022

#NASA #ESA #Space #Moon #Artemis #ArtemisI #SLS #Boeing #Rocket #DeepSpace #LockheedMartin #Orion #Spacecraft #Astronauts #Mars #JourneyToMars #Science #Engineering #Technology #Exploration #SolarSystem #KSC #Florida #UnitedStates #Europe #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Tonight's Sky: July 2022

Tonight's Sky: July 2022 

In July, find the Scorpius constellation to identify the reddish supergiant Antares, which will lead you to discover a trio of globular star clusters. Keep watching for space-based views of these densely packed, spherical collections of ancient stars, as well as three nebulas: the Swan Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Trifid Nebula.

“Tonight’s Sky” is a monthly video of constellations you can observe in the night sky. The series is produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, in partnership with NASA’s Universe of Learning. 

Credit: Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Duration: 4 minutes, 42 seconds

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Hubble #Space #Science #Earth #Stars #Antares #StarClusters #Nebulas #SwanNebula #LagooNebula #TrifidNebula #Scorpius #Constellation #Galaxy #MilkyWay #Planets #SolarSystem #Skywatching #STScI #UnitedStates #Canada #Mexico #NorthernHemisphere #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Mars: Spring Fans and Polygons | NASA MRO

Mars: Spring Fans and Polygons | NASA MRO

Both water and dry ice have a major role in sculpting Mars' surface at high latitudes. Water ice frozen in the soil splits the ground into polygons. Erosion of the channels forming the boundaries of the polygons by dry ice sublimating in the spring adds plenty of twists and turns to them.

Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is the second longest-lived spacecraft to orbit Mars, after 2001 Mars Odyssey. It has been studying the Red Planet since March 2006. The spacecraft collects and relays daily science and weather data. It also scouts for landing locations for Mars landers and serves as a critical relay station for science beamed back from the Red Planet.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on MRO, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado.

Video Credit: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/University of Arizona

Narration: Tre Gibbs

Tre's website: www.tregibbs.com

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #Mars #RedPlanet #Planet #WaterIce #DryIce #Polygons #Terrain #MRO #Reconnaissance #Orbiter #Technology #Engineering #JPL #Pasadena #California #UnitedStates #JourneyToMars #CitizenScience #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Dawn of The James Webb Space Telescope: First Images This Summer

Dawn of The James Webb Space Telescope: First Images This Summer

"Want to discover new worlds from our world? The James Webb Space Telescope has been brought to reality by NASA and Northrop Grumman. First images out this summer."

Credit: Northrop Grumman

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Astronomy #Space #Telescope #JWST #JamesWebb #NorthropGrumman #Cosmos #Universe #Science #Engineering #Technology #ESA #CSA #Goddard #GSFC #JSC #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #HD #Video

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Celebrating 13 Years at the Moon!

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Celebrating 13 Years at the Moon!

This year, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) celebrates its 13th anniversary orbiting the Moon. This mission has given scientists the largest volume of data ever collected by a planetary science mission at NASA. Considering that success and the continuing functionality of the spacecraft and its instruments, NASA has awarded the mission an extended mission phase to continue operations. This is LRO's 5th extended science mission (ESM5), and during this time there will be 4 major areas of focus. This video dives into those details and shows how LRO continues to be one of NASA's most valuable tools for advancing lunar science.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) 

Produced and Edited by: David Ladd (AIMM)

Data Visualizations by: Ernie Wright (USRA)

Spacecraft Animations by: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)

Music provided by Universal Production Music: "We're Getting Started" - Frederick Kron; "Whoop It Up" - Paul Joseph Smith.

Duration: 3 minutes, 47 seconds

Release Date: June 29, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Apollo #Artemis #Moon #Science #Geology #Lunar #LRO #Orbiter #Technology #Engineering #NASAGoddard #GSFC #Greenbelt #Maryland #UnitedStates #STEM #Education #Animations #Visualizations #HD #Video

Cygnus Departure | International Space Station

Cygnus Departure | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy and her Expedition 67 crewmates said goodbye to the Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft as it departed the International Space Station (ISS). Samantha shared this image with the following caption:

"Last night on ISS for Cygnus! Vehicle is fully loaded, hatch is closed, robotic arm has grappled it for unberthing early tomorrow morning. Thanks for bringing us supplies, for the orbit reboost and….last but not least….for taking our trash! Mission Minerva."

The Expedition 67 crew on the International Space Station said farewell to a U.S. cargo craft on Tuesday morning, June 28, 2022, and is planning for the arrival of another resupply ship in mid-July. 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter completed its four-month cargo mission attached to the Unity module after the Canadarm2 robotic arm released it into Earth orbit at 7:07 a.m. EDT on Tuesday morning. The trash-filled commercial cargo craft will descend into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up safely above the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. Cygnus delivered over 8,300 pounds of science and supplies when it arrived for capture and installation to Unity on Feb. 21, 2022.

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the  International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: ESA/NASA-S.Cristoforetti

Capture Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #ISS #Sun #Star #Earth #Planet #Astronauts #Expedition67 #Science #Technology #Engineering #NorthropGrumman #Cygnus #Spacecraft #Cargo #CommercialResupply #Photography #JSC #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #STEM #Education

Cygnus Cargo Ship Prepared for Release | International Space Station

Cygnus Cargo Ship Prepared for Release | International Space Station

The Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman, with its prominent cymbal-shaped solar arrays, is pictured attached to the International Space Station's Unity module as the orbiting lab flew 263 miles above the coast of Lisbon, Portugal.

Image Date: June 20, 2022

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is pictured attached to the International Space Station's Unity module as the orbiting lab flew 268 miles above the south Atlantic into an orbital sunset.

Image Date: June 25, 2022

Images 3-6

Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is positioned away from the International Space Station in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm prior to its release ending a four-month stay attached to the orbiting lab's Unity module.

Image Date: June 28, 2022

The Expedition 67 crew on the International Space Station said farewell to a U.S. cargo craft on Tuesday morning, June 28, 2022, and is planning for the arrival of another resupply ship in mid-July. 

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter completed its four-month cargo mission attached to the Unity module after the Canadarm2 robotic arm released it into Earth orbit at 7:07 a.m. EDT on Tuesday morning. The trash-filled commercial cargo craft will descend into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up safely above the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday. Cygnus delivered over 8,300 pounds of science and supplies when it arrived for capture and installation to Unity on Feb. 21, 2022.

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the  International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Image Capture Dates: June 20-28, 2022

#NASA #ISS #Sun #Star #Earth #Planet #Astronauts #Expedition67 #Science #Technology #Engineering #NorthropGrumman #Cygnus #Spacecraft #Cargo #CommercialResupply #Photography #JSC #OverviewEffect #OrbitalPerspective #STEM #Education

China's Taikonaut, Wang Yaping, Found 'Beauty and Tranquility' on Space Mission

China's Taikonaut, Wang Yaping, Found 'Beauty and Tranquility' on Space Mission

The Shenzhou-13 crew members held their first press conference since returning from space 74 days ago in Beijing on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. The three Chinese astronauts briefed the media on their health status and experiences on their 6-month orbital mission on China's Tiangong Space Station. Wang Yaping, the female taikonaut of the Shenzhou-13 manned mission, said she was deeply touched by the "beauty and tranquility" of the universe. 

Wang Yaping is China's second female astronaut or taikonaut. On November 7, 2021, Wang Yaping became China's first female spacewalker. Wang became China's second female spacefarer as a member of the Shenzhou 10 spaceship crew when it orbited the Earth in June 2013.

China's Tiangong Space Station is expected to be fully assembled in 2022.

Credit: China Global Television Network (CGTN) 

Duration: 1 minute

Release Date: June 28, 2022

#Earth #Space #China #中国 #Taikonaut #Astronaut #Women #WangYaping #Pilot #Leader #王亚平 #Tiangong #天宫 #SpaceStation #Shenzhou13 #UNOOSA #UnitedNations #CNSA #CMSA #国家航天局 #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #STEM #Education #HD #Video

Solar System Portrait over Slovakia

Solar System Portrait over Slovakia

The Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are visible over Slovakia in Central Europe. Slovakia is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the southwest, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.

Location: Holíš Hill (533m), Slovakia.

Below is the longest river in Slovakia "Váh".

Holíš Hill is located between the cities of Považská Bystrica and Púchov.

Technical details: Canon 6D, Sigma 35mm, f1.4. Panorama

Image Credit: Ondrej Králik

Image Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #Science #SolarSystem #Planets #Earth #Moon #Venus #Mars #Jupiter #Saturn #CitizenScience #OndrejKrálik #Astrophotographer #Astrophotography #Skywatching #Cosmos #Universe #SolarSystem #Europe #Slovakia #Slovenská #STEM #Education

Samantha Wishes Cygnus Goodbye | International Space Station

Samantha Wishes Cygnus Goodbye | International Space Station

European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy and her Expedition 67 crewmates say goodbye to the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as it departs the International Space Station (ISS). Samantha shared the following update on June 28, 2022:

"Last night on ISS for Cygnus! Vehicle is fully loaded, hatch is closed, robotic arm has grappled it for unberthing early tomorrow morning. Thanks for bringing us supplies, for the orbit reboost and…last but not least…for taking our trash! MissionMinerva"

Learn about Samantha's Minerva Mission: https://bit.ly/MissionMinerva

Samantha Cristoforetti's Biography (ESA)

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Samantha_Cristoforetti

Expedition 67 Crew

Commander Oleg Artemyev (Russia)

Roscosmos Flight Engineers: Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov (Russia)

NASA Flight Engineers: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (USA)

European Space Agency (ESA) Flight Engineer: Samantha Cristoforetti (Italy)

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been the most politically complex space exploration program ever undertaken.

Credit: ESA/NASA-Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti

Image Date: June 27, 2022

#NASA #Space #ISS #Earth #Planet #Cygnus #Cargo #CommercialResupply #Spacecraft #NorthopGrumman #ESA #Astronaut #SamanthaCristoforetti #Minerva #MissionMinerva #Italy #Italia #ASI #Science #Technology #HumanSpaceflight #Expedition67 #Europe #UnitedStates #International #STEM #Education

Launch of NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission | Rocket Lab

Launch of NASA's CAPSTONE Moon Mission | Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab has successfully launched NASA's CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) satellite to the Moon aboard their Electron rocket. Liftoff occurred at 5:55 AM EDT (09:55 UTC) on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, from Launch Complex 1B at Rocket Lab’s launch facility on Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. This mission made Electron the smallest rocket to launch a payload toward the Moon and the first lunar flight to lift off from New Zealand. The second stage of the Electron placed the payload in an initial low Earth orbit. To propel the 25 kg (55 lbs) CubeSat to the moon, Rocket Lab’s Lunar Photon—optimized especially for Lunar missions—will give the payload the extra thrust needed to get it to the Moon. Powered by green-hypergolic propellants, its onboard Hypercurie engine will place the CAPSTONE satellite on a ballistic lunar transfer orbit. Once in the vicinity of the Moon, the CAPSTONE satellite will use its onboard propulsion systems to place itself in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around it.

This is the first mission to launch that directly supports NASA’s Artemis program.

Like Gateway, CAPSTONE continues the tradition of NASA's commercial partnerships, including American small businesses. The spacecraft was built and tested by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., a Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California, operated by Advanced Space, and was launched by Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.

Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/capstone

Image Credit: Rocket Lab

Caption Credit: NASASpaceflight.com

Capture Date: June 28, 2022

#NASA #Space #Satellite #Artemis #Moon #CAPSTONE #CubeSat #RocketLab #PeterBeck #Rocket #Electron #Cislunar #Orbit #Technology #Engineering #Navigation #Experiment #LunarGateway #Gateway #DeepSpace #Spaceflight #SolarSystem #Exploration #STEM #Education