Artemis 1 cubesats: The 10 tiny satellites hitching a NASA ride to the moon

space.com/ ^ | By Robert Lea p

[BenLurkin]

The SLS will also be carrying a secondary payload, a series of shoeboxes sized satellites that it will jettison as it travels towards the moon. Though the SLS can host 17 of these diminutive science experiments, the Artemis 1 payload will be comprised of 10 units.

Cubesats are remarkable for their efficiency, low cost, and compatibility with larger payloads. Though they are usually restricted in mass to between 2.2 and 22 lbs (1 and 10 kilograms), cubesats are usually measured and classified by 'units' (U) with each unit representing a cube of 10 centimeters (3.93 inches) each side.

The majority of cubesats on the Artemis 1 mission are 6U in size, stringing together six of these units resulting in dimensions around that of 7.8 in x 3.93 in x 13.4 in (20 cm × 10 cm × 34.05 cm).

Lunar IceCube 6U...will use sophisticated instruments to 'sniff out' water and other resources both on the moon and above the lunar surface...weighs just 31 lbs (14 kg), will have a seven-hour orbit around the moon, propelled by an ion propulsion system. During this orbit to protect its instrumentation from solar radiation, a small 'garage door' slides open allowing just an hour of observations of the lunar surface in each orbit.

Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) will investigate hydrogen abundances in the moon's shadowy regions...creating a map of hydrogen at a spatial scale of around 6 miles...

Also a 6U cubesat, the LunaH-Map's science mission will last 60 days with the spacecraft making 141 highly elliptical orbits of the moon at a low altitude that will bring it as close as 3 to 6 miles (4.8 to 9.6 km) from the lunar surface. This orbit will be centered on the Shackleton Crater  —  an impact crater located at the moon's south pole.

[SaveFerris]

I’m sorry Dave.

I cannot open the pod bay doors for the cubesats.

[steve86]

That was an informative article.

[maddog55]

I predict failure due to alien bases on the dark side of the moon.

[IAGeezer912]

I am always humbled by articles like this knowing I have a degree in Elec Eng and have difficulty putting batteries in devices correctly.

[jmcenanly]

Subsequent Artemis missions will be using Alexa as a user interface. Satire has become reality.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JepKVUym9Fg

[Doctor Congo]

Apparently there is something else in the payload that is the size of 7 average cubesats.

[blam]

"I am always humbled by articles like this knowing I have a degree in Elec Eng and have difficulty putting batteries in devices correctly."

I over heard a woman behind me in the line at the grocery store tell the woman behind her that she is 38 years old but has to call her 8 year old daughter to change the TV channel.

This store has auto/self-checkout but none of us in that line chose to use it.