Space company Rocket Lab will launch a satellite to the Moon in the last quarter of this year on behalf of NASA. The mission is part of the Artemis program that wants NASA to land humans on the moon again.

with launch cubes capstone, created by Advanced Space, was placed in an elliptical orbit around the Moon. Capstone stands for Lunar autonomous GPS technology operations and navigation experience in a DrIts tiny moon will test the thrust needed to maintain the required orbit around the moon.

As part of the Artemis lunar program, the Gate in a similar orbit around the moon. This is a space station that serves as a flight base for future lunar missions.

Capstone – photo © NASA / Rocket Lab / Advanced Space / Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems

Commissioned by NASA Rocket Lab launches Capstone With an electron rocket stage and a photon “satellite bus”. It is the company’s first launch to the moon. The launch was previously planned for early this year, but that has now been pushed back to the fourth quarter of 2021.

Rocket Lab has carried out 21 launches with its Electron rocket so far, carrying 105 satellites into space. The 18-meter rocket can transfer a maximum of 300 kilograms into low Earth orbit. The rocket stage can be reused by this to land in the sea Or pick it up from the sky by helicopter. The American company is also working on a much larger rocket that can land on its own. This is it de neutron, which can transport up to 2,000 kilograms to the moon.