01-07-2022, 02:05 PM
(29-06-2022, 04:14 PM)king1 Wrote: Just in case you missed it...Kinda impressive that little old NZ is now one of a handful of countries capable of sending stuff to the moon!
This one sets a satellite into a unique orbit around the moon.
From what I understand it will be a test of the orbit that might be used for a bigger gateway station to placed in the same orbit down the track...
Pretty impressive stuff for little ol' NZ. The actual launch starts around 58 minutes in
Quote:CAPSTONE’s primary objective is to test and verify the calculated orbital stability of a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon, the same orbit planned for Gateway. NASA’s Gateway is a small space station that will orbit around the Moon to provide astronauts with access to the lunar surface. It will feature living quarters for astronauts, a lab for science and research and ports for visiting spacecraft. CAPSTONE will also test a navigation system developed by Advanced Space that will measure its absolute position in cislunar space using interaction with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter without relying on ground stations for navigation support.
https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/lunar/