Five CubeSats from international space agencies will fly aboard the Artemis II test flight, the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis campaign. Germany’s TACHELES CubeSat is the first CubeSat to join the campaign. The agreement was signed by Catherine Koerner, NASA’s associate administrator for exploration systems development at the German Space Agency DLR. TACHELES will collect measurements on the effects of the space environment on electrical components to inform technologies for lunar vehicles.
CubeSats are shoebox-sized payloads that have the potential to expand knowledge of the space environment. They will ride to space inside a ring that connects NASA’s Orion spacecraft to the upper stage of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. They will be deployed in high Earth orbit after the upper stage detaches from Orion and the spacecraft is safely flying free on its own and a safe distance away from the stage.
By working with other countries to fly CubeSats, NASA is increasing access to space for the international community and enabling its partners to expand scientific and technological knowledge. The space agency is yet to share details about the additional countries it is working with to fly CubeSats on Artemis II. However, all the participating countries will be from those who have signed the Artemis Accords.
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