Arcstone will now continue to go through commissioning to test its components and hardware and is expected to begin gathering science measurements approximately three weeks after launch - known as first light.
As a technology demonstration, Arcstone aims to improve future space research by using sunlight reflected off the Moon to fine-tune spacecraft instruments that observe Earth and other celestial bodies. Positioned in low Earth orbit where it can observe both the Moon and the Sun without interference from the atmosphere, the CubeSat, about the size of a shoebox (roughly 10.5 inches), will measure lunar spectral reflectance - or how much light the Moon reflects at different wavelengths.
Arcstone is the first instrument dedicated to improving the accuracy of lunar reflectance measurements from space. The mission is an important first step to enable a high-accuracy international standard of measure for use by monitoring sensors and constellation systems in orbit. Along with improving science data from current spaceborne sensors, a universal standard of calibration from lunar spectral reflectance could be applied to previous Earth data records to fill in gaps in the data.
"One of the most challenging tasks in remote sensing from space is achieving required instrument calibration accuracy on-orbit," said Constantine Lukashin, principal investigator for the Arcstone mission and physical scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. "The Moon is an excellent and available calibration source beyond Earth's atmosphere. Arcstone's goal is to improve the accuracy of lunar calibration to increase the quality of spaceborne remote sensing data products for generations to come."
For more information on NASA's Arcstone mission visit here
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