Cubesat Launched By NASA Artemis Shoots Out Of Moon's Orbit

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Cubesat Launched By NASA Artemis Shoots Out Of Moon's Orbit

One of NASA's lunar missions has gone out of the lunar orbit. NASA faced trouble establishing communications with the cube-shaped satellite, called a "CubeSat."

 

"NEAScout accompanied Artemis to the Moon but did a hard skid around [it and] is shooting out of the Earth-Moon system entirely," Harvard astronomer McDowell tweeted, adding, "alas, it died soon after launch" and thus was "inert" anyway.

 

NASA's Plans Go In Vain

NEAScout was launched with the intention of studying the small 2020 GE asteroid. The spacecraft was supposed to unfurl a huge 924-square-foot solar sail to reach the nearby asteroid, but those plans have gone in vain.

Just over a month ago, another spacecraft launched by the uncrewed Orion spacecraft -- the CubeSat to Study Solar Particles (CuSp), lost contact with the space agency around ten days ago.

This month could be better for the Artemis CubeSats, and as the Harvard astronomer added, there needs to be data for the public for the remaining nine CubeSats.

NASA Losing Connection With Another Satellite

NASA engineers have been trying to reestablish contact with one of the eight spacecraft that together create the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) constellation, a group of satellites to keep track of hurricanes.

CYGNSS is a space-based system that measures wind speeds from time to time from the ocean's surface to alert Earth-based observatories about tropical cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons. However, the system's team has yet to receive any data from the satellite designated FM06 since November 26, as per NASA's statement.

The constellation was launched in December 2016 and completed its prime science objectives in March 2019. Since then, the system has been operating as an extended mission.

Not Everything Has Failed

While four of the CubeSats launched by the Artemis I have gone silent, other missions have worked as expected. For example, NASA and the Italian Space Agency's ArgoMoon demonstrator have sent some incredible images of the Moon's far side.

Besides, the space agency's BioSentinl CubeSat is investigating how yeast and similar microorganisms get affected by radiation when exposed to the sun for a long duration.

While only six of ten CubeSat missions have survived, considering the level of complexity involved, it's still a good number.

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