After CAPSTONE successfully left Earth orbit, it began charging its onboard battery using solar panels, according to an update from NASA.
The CubeSat is awaiting course correction and remaining on the planned global trajectory for its lunar ballistic transfer, NASA said.
Leaving earth orbit
The satellite will depend on its own propulsion and the sun’s gravity for the rest of its journey. Gravity will allow the CubeSat to use much less fuel to reach its destination.
The mission launched aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula on June 28.
The goal of CubeSats is to enter an elongated orbit, which is an almost 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 a lunar pole at its closest pass and within 43,500 miles (70,006.5 kilometers) of the other pole every seven days.
In addition, the small satellite will also test its communication capabilities. The orbit provides a view of Earth while providing coverage of the lunar south pole, which is the planned landing spot for Artemis astronauts in 2025.
The CubeSat will also communicate with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a spacecraft that has circled the moon for 13 years. It will serve as a reference point for the satellite and allow scientists to measure the distance between the CubeSat and LRO, as well as CAPSTONE’s location in the sky.
