Subscribe with SteadyLunar Photon (Photon 03)
Lunar Photon [Rocket Lab]
Lunar Photon (Note: actual name of this mission not yet revealed) is Rocket lab's demonstration mission for their Photon-IP bus, a satellite bus based on their Kick Stage Upper stage of the Electron rocket.
In this mission, the Lunar Photon acts both as an upper stage for the CAPSTONE and as an independent satellite bus carrying some instruments on its own. Reportedly Lunar Photon will perform a Lunar fly taking some images by after deploying the CAPSTONE satellite.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology |
| Operator: | Rocket Lab |
| Contractors: | Rocket Lab |
| Equipment: | Camera ? |
| Configuration: | Photon-IP |
| Propulsion: | hyperCurie |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | ~300 kg (#launch); 55kg (dry) |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunar Photon (Photon 03) | 2022-070C | 28.06.2022 | OnS LC-1B | Electron Photon-IP | with CAPSTONE |
Launch Sites:
- OnS = Onenui Station, Mahia, Wairoa, North Island, New Zealand
References:
- Rocket Lab: Rocket Lab Launches First In-house Designed & Built Photon Satellite, 3 September 2020
