Artemis, we have a problem. Ten "cubesats" - miniaturized satellites - were sent into space on November 16 together with the Orion capsule , as part of the Artemis 1 mission.
Designed to test new technologies, three of them have experienced various operating complications in recent days that could partially compromise the success of the mission.
Among them is the small Japanese lander Omotenashi. Its dimensions are similar to those of a shoebox and it could have become the first Japanese probe to complete a moon landing. However, various attitude problems made communication with the Earth impossible , so much so that the technicians of the Japanese space agency Jaxa canceled the attempt to make it touch the lunar surface.
In recent days, problems had also emerged with NASA's Nea Scout , a probe whose mission was supposed to be to approach a small asteroid, pushed by a large solar sail, which however has lost communications with the Earth.
Finally, the third "problematic" cubsat, LunaH-Map, which aims to map water on the Moon, failed to fire its engines to correct its orbit. However, this unexpected event - they hope from ground mission control - could soon be resolved.
(Unioneonline/vf)
