NASA's moon-observing CubeSat is ready for Artemis launch

NASA’s Moon-observing CubeSat Ready for Artemis Launch
Illustration of NASA's Lunar IceCube mission investigating lunar ice. Credit: Morehead State University

NASA's water-scouting CubeSat is now poised to hitch a ride to lunar orbit. Not much bigger than a shoe box, Lunar IceCube's data will have an outsized impact on lunar science.

The satellite is integrated into the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and ready to journey to the moon as part of the uncrewed Artemis I mission, launching this year.

Orbiting the moon, Lunar IceCube will use a spectrometer to investigate lunar ice. Earlier missions revealed ice on the moon, but Lunar IceCube will further NASA's knowledge about lunar ice dynamics.

NASA's Lunar IceCube mission will journey to the Moon as a secondary payload on the Artemis I mission. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Scientists are interested in the absorption and release of water from the —the moon's rocky and dusty surface. With Lunar IceCube investigating this process, NASA can map these changes as they occur on the moon.

Lunar IceCube will also study the —the very thin atmosphere-like volume surrounding the moon. By understanding the dynamics of water and other substances on the moon, scientists will be able to predict seasonal changes for lunar ice that could impact its use as a resource in the future.

This will all be achieved from an efficient and cost-effective CubeSat that only weighs 31 pounds. Lunar IceCube is one of several CubeSats catching a ride to the moon aboard Artemis I. These small satellites, along with future Artemis missions, will increase our knowledge for living and working on the and eventually Mars.

Provided by NASA

Citation: NASA's moon-observing CubeSat is ready for Artemis launch (2022, August 8) retrieved 7 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2022-08-nasa-moon-observing-cubesat-ready-artemis.html
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