How to Watch SpaceX Nasa’s Lunar Flashlight Mission Launch

December 08, 2022 By Prelo Con

(Image Credit Google)

SpaceX is once again preparing to launch NASA's Lunar Flashlight satellite as well as HAKUTO-R Mission 1, the first privately led Japanese mission to attempt a lunar landing. This comes after a delay to its initial launch date. If everything goes according to plan, the payload-carrying Falcon 9 rocket will launch from the Kennedy Space Center in the early hours of Sunday, December 11. For exact information on how to watch, see below. The launch will be webcast live online. The tiny Lunar Flashlight satellite will use lasers to scour permanently shadowed craters in the south pole of the moon for water ice, traveling to regions that haven't seen sunlight in billions of years. According to NASA, the Lunar Flashlight will use a reflectometer with four near-infrared lasers that emit light at wavelengths that are easily absorbed by surface water ice during the three-month mission. If the lasers strike bare rock or regolith (broken rock and dust), the light will reflect back to the spacecraft. However, it would be a sign of the presence of water ice if the object absorbs the light. There may be more ice if the absorption is larger. [caption id="attachment_69842" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Lunar Flashlight Mission

Image: nasa[/caption] It is envisaged that lunar water will one day be used by humans on extended moon journeys and even contribute to the production of rocket fuel for lunar missions to worlds like Mars. The use of huge rockets and a lot of fuel would be unnecessary thanks to the moon's lower gravitational pull than the Earth's, which would allow for much more efficient space travel. On Sunday's launch, Japan's HAKUTO-R lander will also be sent into orbit in preparation for a lunar landing and the deployment of a number of public and commercial payloads. The planned launch time for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is 2:38 a.m. ET on Sunday, December 11, which for those on the West Coast translates to 11:38 p.m. PT on Saturday. [caption id="attachment_69841" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Lunar Flashlight Mission

Image: nasa[/caption] Use the video player placed at the top of this page to witness the mission's launch and initial phases. The same broadcast will also be available on SpaceX's website, which you can visit instead. Prior to launch, the program will start around 15 minutes early. Visit SpaceX's Twitter page for the most recent information regarding the mission's status. How to watch? SpaceX will demonstrate how its powerful Falcon 9 rocket launches from the Kennedy Space Center while illuminating the Florida sky. The initial stages of the flight will be monitored by cameras on the ground and on the rocket. Both the booster's landing at Landing Zone 1 not far from the launch site and the first-stage separation high above Earth will be webcast live online. Expect in-depth analysis of both the mission's goal and the actual flight as the rocket travels toward space.

By Prelo Con

Following my passion by reviewing latest tech. Just love it.

How to Watch SpaceX Nasa’s Lunar Flashlight Mission Launch

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