NASA’s Lunar Flashlight CubeSat Mission Fails to Enter Moon’s Orbit
NASA’s Lunar Flashlight CubeSat mission, which was launched in December 2018, has failed to enter the Moon’s orbit. The mission was designed to study the Moon’s surface and search for water ice using a small satellite called a CubeSat.
The Lunar Flashlight CubeSat was launched as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the Moon by 2024. The CubeSat was supposed to enter the Moon’s orbit and use its laser to scan the surface for water ice. Water ice is a valuable resource that could be used by future astronauts for drinking water, oxygen, and rocket fuel.
However, the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat failed to enter the Moon’s orbit as planned. NASA officials have not yet released details on what went wrong with the mission, but they have confirmed that the CubeSat is still in space and is functioning properly.
Despite the setback, NASA officials remain optimistic about the future of the Lunar Flashlight mission. They believe that the CubeSat could still be used to study other objects in space, such as asteroids or comets.
CubeSats are small satellites that are often used for scientific research. They are typically only a few inches in size and weigh less than 3 pounds. CubeSats are relatively inexpensive to build and launch, which makes them an attractive option for researchers who want to study space on a budget.
The Lunar Flashlight CubeSat was built by a team of researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The JPL is a division of NASA that specializes in robotic space exploration.
The Lunar Flashlight mission was one of several CubeSat missions that were launched as part of NASA’s Artemis program. Other CubeSats included the Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEAS) and the BioSentinel mission, which will study the effects of space radiation on living organisms.
Despite the setback with the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat, NASA officials remain committed to the Artemis program and the goal of sending humans back to the Moon. The agency is currently working on developing a new spacecraft called the Orion, which will be used to transport astronauts to the Moon and back.
In conclusion, while the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat mission may have failed to enter the Moon’s orbit, it is still a valuable tool for studying space. CubeSats like the Lunar Flashlight are helping researchers learn more about our solar system and the universe beyond. As NASA continues to develop new technologies and explore new frontiers, CubeSats will undoubtedly play an important role in our understanding of space.
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- Source: https://zephyrnet.com/nasas-lunar-flashlight-cubesat-mission-ends-before-entering-orbit-around-moon/