Rocket Lab launched CAPSTONE on an Electron rocket from New Zealand last week. After six days of burn-up to build up enough speed, the pathfinder satellite launched toward the Moon. It’s a relatively slow journey, though. CAPSTONE will not reach the Moon until November. NASA will attempt to put CAPSTONE into a nearly straight halo orbit around the Moon, a feat never attempted before. The agency plans to use the same orbit for the Gateway space station, which will provide support for long-term lunar missions under the Artemis program. The outpost will have living quarters for astronauts and a laboratory. That mission won’t begin until at least 2024. Meanwhile, it emerged last week that NASA has targeted a launch window between August 23 and September 6 for the Artemis 1 mission. It will send an uncrewed unit around the Moon to assess how the journey might affect the human body. The agency conducted a successful liquid launch feed test for Artemis 1 in June. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
