Mandatory canonical link for digital publication: https://www.independent.co.uk/space/japan-steam-propel-moon-spacecraft-b2234128.htmlJapan’s space agency Jaxa has announced it successfully used steam to propel its spacecraft that was launched as one of the payloads aboard Nasa’s Orion spacecraft. “This is the world’s first successful orbit control beyond low-Earth orbit using a water propellant propulsion system,” the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) said in a statement. The Japanese space agency confirmed that its water-powered CubeSat EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft (EQUULEUS) spacecraft performed the required manoeuvers to be in its planned orbit towards the second Earth-Moon Lagrange point (EML2) – a position situated beyond the Moon. “Spacecraft departing from EML2 can transfer to various orbits, such as Earth orbits, Moon orbits, and interplanetary orbits, with a tiny amount of orbital control,” Jaxa explained. EQUULEUS is slated to reach the Lagrange point EML2 in approximately 1.5 years.

Source: Irish Independent November 28, 2022 19:27 UTC