The tiny CubeSat stopped communicating with the Deep Space Network on Tuesday. DSN is a NASA radio antenna network that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions as well as some orbiting Earth. CubeSat is the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, also known as CAPSTONE. The CAPSTONE team is working to restore contact and find out what caused the problem, according to a NASA statement. They have solid trajectory data from the Deep Space Network spacecraft’s first full and second partial ground station passes, the agency said in its release.
“If necessary, the mission has enough fuel to delay the initial post-separation trajectory correction maneuver by several days,” the agency said.
Leaving Earth’s orbit
The satellite left Earth’s orbit on Monday as planned, marking a major milestone in its four-month journey to the moon.
It will rely on its own propulsion and the sun’s gravity for the rest of its journey. Gravity will allow the CubeSat to use significantly less fuel to reach its target.
The mission launched aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on June 28.
The purpose of CubeSats is to enter an extended orbit, which is a nearly rectilinear halo orbit, around the Moon for at least six months for research purposes.
The satellite’s orbit will bring the spacecraft within 1,000 miles (1,609.3 kilometers) of one lunar pole on its closest pass and within 43,500 miles (70,006.5 kilometers) of the other pole every seven days.
The team hopes the satellite can maintain its orbit, which could allow the agency to launch and place a lunar orbiting outpost called Gateway. This will play a crucial role in their Artemis program, providing future spacecraft with an efficient path to and from the surface of the Moon.
In addition, the small satellite will also test its communication capabilities. The orbit offers a view of Earth while providing coverage for the moon’s south pole, which is the planned landing point for Artemis astronauts in 2025.
The CubeSat will also communicate with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been orbiting the Moon for 13 years. It will act as a reference point for the satellite and allow scientists to measure the distance between the two space objects and where the CAPSTONE is in the sky.
Space enthusiasts can track the satellite’s journey using NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System.
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