Yes, NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and a handful of other active spacecraft are currently orbiting the Moon. The Moons gravity is extraordinarily lumpy, so its really difficult to stay in orbit around the Moon. If a satellite orbits too close to the lunar service, the Moons gravity may trigger the satellite to in fact crash into the Moon. There are several spacecraft orbiting the Moon and there will be plenty more to come, including CAPSTONE as part of NASAs Artemis program.
NASAs Gateway, a crucial part of Artemis program, will serve as a multi-purpose station orbiting the Moon that provides vital support for long-term human go back to the lunar surface and functions as a staging points for deep area exploration. Credit: NASA
Does anything orbit the Moon?
Yes, NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and a handful of other active spacecraft are currently orbiting the Moon. One of the truly cool CubeSats Im ecstatic about is NASA CAPSTONE, which signed up with these other spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. CAPSTONE means the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment. It works as a pathfinder objective for Gateway as part of NASAs Artemis program. Gateway is a spaceport station that will orbit the Moon and provide a place for astronauts to prepare and resupply for their trips to the lunar surface.
The Moons gravity is extraordinarily lumpy, so its truly hard to remain in orbit around the Moon. If a satellite orbits too close to the lunar service, the Moons gravity might trigger the satellite to really crash into the Moon.
Does anything orbit the Moon? Yes. There are a handful of satellites presently orbiting our closest celestial next-door neighbor. On November 13, 2022, they invited CAPSTONE, a CubeSat developed to test a special and new halo-shaped orbit that will use stability for long-term missions like our upcoming lunar Gateway space station. NASA Small Satellites Engineer Ahn Nguyen tells us about it. Credit: NASA
Whats really cool about CAPSTONE is that its the very first spacecraft to evaluate the entryway and sustainability of a really distinct near rectilinear halo orbit, also referred to as NRHO. This NRHO orbit is at a precise balance point between the gravities of the Earth and the Moon, which offers a long, stable orbit so that Gateway and future spacecraft do not need to carry a lot fuel to remain in orbit around the Moon.
CAPSTONE is helping lead the way for Gateway and helps decrease danger for future spacecraft in this orbit. Another actually cool aspect of CAPSTONE is that it is also showing a truly ingenious navigation system that will enable future spacecraft to determine their location without needing to rely specifically on tracking from Earth.
So does anything orbit the Moon? In summary, yes. There are several spacecraft orbiting the Moon and there will be plenty more to come, consisting of CAPSTONE as part of NASAs Artemis program.