NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

CAPSTONE

Launch Time
Tue Jun 28, 2022 09:55 UTC

Longest Rocket Lab mission to date. Time between launch and CAPSTONE deployment was just under 6 days.

Rocket

Electron/Explorer
Image Credit: Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab
Status: Active
Price: $7.5 million
Liftoff Thrust: 224 kN
Payload to LEO: 320 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 18.0 m
Fairing Diameter: 1.2 m
Fairing Height: 4.05 m

Mission Details

CAPSTONE

Following a three-month trip to the Moon, CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) will enter a near rectilinear halo orbit, which is a highly elliptical orbit over the Moon’s poles, to verify its characteristics for future missions and conduct a navigation demonstration with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. CAPSTONE will serve as a pathfinder for the lunar spaceship Gateway, a key component of NASA’s Artemis program.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 25.0 kg
Trans Lunar Injection

Location

Rocket Lab LC-1B, Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand

Stats

2022

73rd orbital launch attempt

Rocket Lab

27th mission
4th mission of 2022
24th successful mission
7th consecutive successful mission

Electron

27th mission
4th mission of 2022
24th successful mission
7th consecutive successful mission