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CAPSTONE

Electron

Rocket Lab

Launch Status
Success

Weather Forecast During Launch


According to weather officials, there’s a 75% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch.

Trajectory


View comprehensive details including the rocket’s trajectory, velocity, altitude, thrust, and more at FlightClub.io.

Mission


CAPSTONE

  • Type: Planetary Science
  • Orbit: Lunar Orbit
  • Launch Cost: $6,000,000

CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a 12-U cubesat mission to test operations in near rectiliniar halo orbit around the Moon, which is to be used for the Lunar Gateway space station. Mission will verify the near rectilinear halo orbit characteristics, spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation services in that orbit, and provide valuable experience of small sat launch to the Moon.

Location


Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B

Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B has witnessed the launch of 15 rockets, including 15 orbital launch attempts, while Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, has been the site for 41 rocket launches.

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B

Rocket


Rocket Lab Electron

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

Electron

Landing


Core 27

Booster 27 last launched 06/28/2022 and has seen 0 successful launches and landings. Booster used during the NASA Capstone mission.

Booster features the NASA Worm logo and was flown without onboard cameras to save weight.

South Pacific – PAC

Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.

Expended – EXP

Vehicle did not perform any landing operations after launch

27

Agency


Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded on the premise that small payloads such as CubeSats require dedicated small launch vehicles and flexibility not currently offered by traditional rocket systems. Its rocket, the Electron, is a light-weight rocket and is now operating commercially. The company is also producing a variety of spacecrafts and spacecrafts components.

Rocket Lab
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Ken & Judy
Ken & Judy
2 years ago

Go Rocket Lab. This experiment will make way for the “Lunar Gateway Space Station” and provide appropriate navigational capabilities in lunar orbit which is essential .
Small satellites around the moon here we come .

Michael
Michael
1 year ago

Up up and away homes and don’t forget your lollipops

Steve
Steve
1 year ago

Slip those surly bonds … Counting down, looking your way 28th!

Ken & Judy O
Ken & Judy O' Neill
1 year ago

Great launch by our N.Z space friends, that little microwave size cubesat should arrive around the moon in November so take care folks .

Ken & Judy O
Ken & Judy O' Neill
1 year ago

GOOD NEWS:
Communication with the cubesat is back on track next stop moon orbit.!