The June 28 CAPSTONE mission launch, a collaboration between Rocket Lab and NASA. Rocket Lab's Lunar Photon spacecraft will perform the final engine burn Monday morning. Photo / Supplied
The June 28 CAPSTONE mission launch, a collaboration between Rocket Lab and NASA. Rocket Lab's Lunar Photon spacecraft will perform the final engine burn Monday morning. Photo / Supplied
Early morning Monday marked a significant milestone for Rocket Lab as the final stage of mission to the Moon for NASA is completed.
Rocket Lab's Lunar Photon spacecraft was scheduled to perform a final engine burn to set the CAPSTONE satellite on course to the Moon for NASA
CAPSTONEstands for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment.
It is the first mission launched in support NASA's Artemis program, which is the agency's program to return humans to the surface of the Moon.
CAPSTONE was initially launched to low Earth orbit by Rocket Lab's Electron launch vehicle on June 28.
The Rocket Lab Lunar Photon Spacecraft with CAPSTONE satellite integrated into it. Photo / Supplied
The CAPSTONE mission was Rocket Lab's 27th Electron launch, and has meant a number of firsts for the company.
Among these firsts are the first use of Lunar Photon, a high energy variant of the Rocket Lab designed and built Photon spacecraft
It is also Rocket Lab's first mission beyond low Earth orbit and the first time a Rocket Lab Electron second stage has de-orbited and re-entered Earth's atmosphere the same day as launch, leaving behind no space debris.
"A typical Rocket Lab mission deploys satellites to around 500 km from Earth. Lunar Photon will deploy CAPSTONE to around 1.3 million km from Earth," the statement said.
It will also be the first time Rocket Lab is using it's own HyperCurie 3D printed engine to provide in-space propulsion.
