According to Rocket Lab on Twitter, the launch was a success.
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The task of the CAPSTONE probe itself is to verify the models and stability of the so-called NRHO (near rectilinear halo orbit; elongated orbit around the Moon – late order.), orbits, on which the Moonway lunar station will be built in the coming years.
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(1/2) An Electron launch vehicle is ready on the LC-1 take-off ramp of the Mahia spaceport. It should finally start today at 11:55 CEST and its load is the lunar probe CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment). pic.twitter.com/VWQ2oqLXyK
– Michal Vaclavik (@Kosmo_Michal) June 28, 2022
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Although Rocket Lab has had some success in the field of aerospace, the most interesting is probably the May capture of the falling stage of the Electron rocket from the air using a helicopter equipped with a giant hook.
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However, so far it has only carried out satellites into low Earth orbit, which is several hundred kilometers high. But now she was supposed to bring out the so-called CubeSat CAPSTONE, which will go to the moon. Obviously, everything is going as expected.
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The small rocket delivered the 25-kilogram cargo only to the elliptical orbit of the Earth, and the Photon platform, an additional rocket stage that serves as a kind of “orbital tractor”, will take care of moving the spacecraft to the Moon.
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In around 10 mins, Photon’s HyperCurie engine will ignite to raise its orbit. This initial burn will be followed by another in around 50 mins to complete the first series of orbit raising maneuvers.
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) June 28, 2022
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He is already separated from the rocket together with the probe and will travel alone and use its engines to increase the orbit.
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The launch of the rocket on Monday was planned for the weekend, the reason for the postponement was the additional time for the final preparation of the launch and also the weather.
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“A suitable start window opens every day until July 27,” cosmonautics specialist Michal Václavík from the Czech Space Office and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague reminded on Twitter.
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So it came out now, on Tuesday, June 28.
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Electron launch vehicle shortly before launch
Photo: Twitter Rocket Lab
Artemis I, II a III
The goal of the American Artemis program is to send astronauts back to the moon around 2025 and build a mini-station in lunar orbit, the so-called Lunar Gateway.
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A key part of the Moon’s research program is the Space Launch System (SLS). The program should consist of three stages. The first (Artemis I) will be an unmanned flight of the ship Orion around the Moon and back to Earth. It is the SLS carrier that will transport the Orions into space.
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The second stage (Artemis II) will be the same flight of Orion around the Moon, but with a human crew. The third stage (Artemis III) involves sending astronauts to the Gateway station at the Moon and later landing the crew on the lunar surface. For the first time ever, a woman should also be on our natural satellite.
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The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently conducted an overall successful test countdown to the SLS lunar rocket.
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NASA could launch an SLS rocket and send the Orion spacecraft for a manned test flight around the Moon later this year (ie the Artemis I mission). According to the latest information, this start will not take place until August.
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