For the first time in the world, the Japanese space agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), announced that it has successfully used steam as a driving force for spacecraft to the Moon.
JAXA's steam-powered CubeSat spacecraft, EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U (EQUULEUS), was launched on its way by NASA's Orion spacecraft.
"This is the world's first successful orbit control beyond low Earth orbit using a water propellant propulsion system," said a JAXA statement as quoted by Interesting Engineering, Saturday (3/12/2022).
JAXA confirmed that the EQUULEUS spacecraft performed a maneuver that moved it into its planned orbital path at point Earth-Moon Lagrange 2 (EML2), which is located beyond the Moon.
A Lagrangian point is a location in space where the gravity of a large object, such as a planet, is balanced by the centrifugal force of the spacecraft, enabling a very stable orbit. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, for example, is located at Lagrange Point 2 (LP2).
Just as NASA's CAPSTONE mission tested lunar orbit for the Lunar Gateway orbital station project, the EQUULEUS spacecraft will enable scientists to test the stability of EML2 for a potential spaceport development. This spaceport will later allow further space exploration.
The mission will conduct a number of investigations, including testing the radiation environment to help determine what precautions future astronauts should take in deep space locations.
"I am proud of the EQUULEUS operations team, who were able to quickly complete the orbit control needed to fly past the Moon, shortly after launch," said Professor Ryu Funase of the Jaxa Institute of Space and Astronautical Science.
Mission EQUULEUS
The main goal of the EQUULEUS mission is to demonstrate low-energy trajectory control technology to reach deep space locations like EML2 using less fuel.
When it reaches EML2, the CubeSat spacecraft will also study phenomena caused by electromagnetic disturbances in the solar wind, analyze plasma in the Earth-Moon system, and observe Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), including asteroids and comets.
This tiny spacecraft is equipped with an ultra-high-speed camera, a dust sensor and an ultraviolet telescope.
"As a result of maneuver control orbits and orbit corrections before and after the lunar fly-by, the lunar fly-by was completed as planned on November 22 JST," JAXA explained in its statement.
The EQUULEUS spacecraft is expected to travel for approximately 1.5 years before reaching the EML2 Lagrange point.
The spacecraft isn't the only JAXA CubeSat sent into space on NASA's Artemis I mission. The Japanese space agency recently had to abort a Moon landing attempt with its OMOTENASHI spacecraft.