Rocket Lab could launch NASA’s CAPSTONE mission toward the moon.

<html-blob><span><u></u><u></u>NASA wants to place a space station called Gateway in orbit around the moon. It would serve as a staging point for visits by astronauts to the lunar surface. To be used most effectively, Gateway would need to orbit the moon in a novel, elliptical trajectory. NASA’s CAPSTONE mission, a microwave-oven-size satellite, will be used to study what it’s like for a spacecraft to operate in this orbit. The mission will be launched by Rocket Lab from its site in New Zealand. NASA says the trip will begin no earlier than May 31, although a window for launch extends to June 22. We will provide an updated launch date when it becomes available. Read more about 2022’s busy year on the moon here: <a href="https://nyti.ms/3mN4QlB">https://nyti.ms/3mN4QlB</a><u></u><u></u></span></html-blob>