NASA’s CAPSTONE CubeSat, launched on June 28, is just a day away from the moon. The CubeSat was launched by Rocket Lab from Mahia, New Zealand at 3:36 pm IST as the start of NASA’s mission to return astronauts to the lunar surface. In a recent update, Rocket Lab, which leased its Electron rocket to NASA for the mission, revealed that engineers would now send CAPSTONE, what they call, a lunar ballistic transfer to reach the Moon.
There is only one last burn of the Lunar Photon HyperCurie engine! Already at 6:56 UTC on July 4, we will send #CAPSTONE on a ballistic lunar transfer to the Moon. This is how pic.twitter.com/uNokKBOpmK
– Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) July 2, 2022
The CAPSTONE mission
Before we understand how the engineers would get CAPSTONE to reach its destination, let’s first take a look at the mission goal. This mission, or CubeSat, is intended to test and verify the nearly rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon, which is considered to be gravitationally stable. It is necessary to test and verify this orbit because this is where the lunar walkway will be installed, intended to support NASA’s Artemis program.
The gateway is intended as a space station in lunar orbit to provide astronauts with housing, access to the lunar surface, a laboratory for science and research, and ports to visit spacecraft. In addition, NASA also intends to test a navigation system, developed by Advanced Space, that will measure its absolute position in orbit by interacting with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) without relying on Earth stations for navigation. .
Transfer of CAPSTONE into lunar orbit
The next and final burn is designed to establish CAPSTONE on a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory to the Moon traveling at 24,500 mph (39,400 km / h) to free itself from Earth’s orbit. This final maneuver is currently scheduled to take place on July 4th. pic.twitter.com/Ilp4xqB5VK
– Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) July 1, 2022
In order to execute a lunar ballistic transfer, Rocket Lab engineers have been performing a series of burns to elevate the orbit to maneuver the CubeSat and bring it out of Earth orbit. It is worth noting that while CAPSTONE was launched into low Earth orbit (LEO), the CubeSat is connected to a secondary rocket, called Photon, which would take it beyond LEO. Since June 28, engineers have carried out seven burns and the eighth and final burn is scheduled for 12:26 p.m. on July 4.
(Illustration of CAPSTONE orbital burns; Image: Rocket Lab)
During its eighth combustion, the CubeSat will be about 13 kilometers lakh from Earth. According to Rocket Lab, the Photon carrying CAPSTONE is equipped with a small Hyper Curie engine that has propelled the CubeSat about 4 lakh miles from Earth. On July 4, this engine will finally inject the CAPSTONE into lunar orbit after accelerating 39,400 km per hour.