NASA has lost contact with a $32.7 million Capstone spacecraft headed to the moon to test out a lopsided lunar orbit.
Capstone: Out of contact?
On Tuesday, NASA revealed that it has lost contact with the spacecraft heading to the moon to test a lopsided lunar orbit. After one successful communication and a second partial one on Monday, NASA said it could no longer communicate with the spacecraft. However, “Engineers are trying to find the cause of the communications drop-off and are optimistic they can fix it,” stated Sarah Frazier. Frazier is a spokesperson for the agency.
“The spacecraft, which launched from New Zealand on June 28, had spent nearly a week in Earth orbit and had been successfully kick-started on its way to the moon when contact was lost,” stated Frazier.
Capstone, weighing 55 pounds is the size of a microwave oven. It is also the first to try out the oval lunar orbit. This is where NASA wants to stage its Gateway outpost and Gateway would serve as a staging point for astronauts before they descend to the lunar surface.
More on the spacecraft
CAPSTONE, short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment launched on a Rocket Lab Electron booster. Scientists were expecting it to take a looping route and reach the location by November 13.
NASA had earlier invited the to follow “CAPSTONE’s journey live using NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System interactive real-time 3D data visualization.” After about one week of its launch, “you can virtually ride along with the CubeSat with a simulated solar system view.” At its closest, the orbit comes within 1,000 miles of the Moon; at its furthest, it is 43,500 miles away.
The unique type of orbit will be used by NASA for parking its lunar-orbiting space station Gateway as part of its Artemis program that is scheduled to take two astronauts to the lunar south pole in 2024-25 and construct a lunar base.
