NASA to launch CAPSTONE to the Moon on June 28 from New Zealand; Here are details

NASA will launch its CAPSTONE mission on June 28, the agency announced in its latest update. The mission will take off using Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from the company's launch complex in New Zealand's Mahia at 3.25 p.m. IST (5.55 a.m. EDT). "CAPSTONE’s trajectory design means that the spacecraft will arrive at its lunar orbit on Nov. 13 regardless of launch date within the current period, which offers launch opportunities every day through July 27", NASA said in its blog.

This comes just a few hours after NASA announced that it is standing down from the launch to allow Rocket Lab to perform additional checks. Initially scheduled for launch on June 6, the mission has been delayed thrice, the latest being on June 27. 

The launch can be watched live on NASA's official website or its YouTube channel. Rocket Lab will also provide live updates of the mission on its Facebook and Twitter along with a live video on its YouTube channel.

What is the CAPSTONE mission?

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment or CAPSTONE involves launching a 25 kg CubeSat to the Moon. After reaching its destination, the CubeSat will be inserted into the "Near rectilinear halo orbit" (NHRO) around the Moon.

Considered a gravitationally “sweet spot” due to the tug of war between the Earth and the Moon, this orbit will be tested by the CubeSat for the future installation of the Lunar Gateway under NASA's Artemis Program. The Gateway, which is an essential component of NASA's Artemis Program, is an outpost that will provide vital support for a long-term human return to the lunar surface.

Under this mission, the CAPSTONE CubeSat will travel where no spacecraft has gone around the Moon to date as its mission profile includes drifting 76,000 kilometres from the lunar surface and coming as close as 3,400 kilometres over the lunar north pole in a week.

Besides, the launch would mark Rocket Lab's first mission beyond the low-Earth orbit and to the Moon. Moreover, the mission will take off on the smallest launch vehicle used to date, since the Electron rocket measures just 59 feet tall.