NASA loses contact with Capstone

the satellite “capstone” It recently successfully entered Earth’s orbit Departure and cycle on the moon taken. However, not everything is going according to plan. Such as NASA Wednesday night communicationhas lost contact with Capstone.

These officials are now working very hard Signal of the satellite, as NASA stated in a statement: “By 1. At least the approximate position and speed of communication with the ground station has been determined,” the space agency wrote on Twitter.

Scattered signals since the change of lane

Capstone (an acronym for “lunar autonomous GPS technology operations and navigation experience”) I started In the June 28, 2022 On a rocket in space. The satellite will test a route to the moon that can be used to circumvent the growing space debris and “traffic” in space.

yesterday he left 25 kg A heavy probe is in orbit and begins its journey to the moon. Since then there have been increasing communication problems with deep space network In, the ground station that is supposed to pick up the Capstone signals. On their website the connection between the probe and the ground station He lives are being tracked.

The maneuver is currently delayed

A satellite can find its way to the moon No dispute alone. He needs instructions from his mission control center. According to NASA, the probe has enough fuel for an upcoming mission Lane correction maneuver to postpone for several days. “But the first maneuver by which the spacecraft adjusts its course will be delayed,” the US space agency said.

The Capstone mission is the last step of the so-called Artemis program, as part of the astronauts landing on the moon again. This will be the first landing on Earth’s satellite since then 50 years. In the future, a space station called a “gateway” will be built near it, through which one can enter the moon. Capstone must be in 4 months reach the moon first landing in 2025.