Japanese cubesat sends home pics from the far side of the Moon

Japan's Equilibrium Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft (EQUULEUS), one of 10 cubesat payloads aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft, has successfully sent back to Earth photos of the far side of the Moon. WE DID IT!! Successfully photographed the day-night terminator line on the far side of the Moon!!!#EQUULEUS #Artemis @NASAArtemis @ …

[Pete 2]

Batteries not included

> The mission was designed to demonstrate the use of low-cost technology to land and explore the Moon's surface.

> But alas, the Cubesat's radios were unresponsive after launch.

A little too low cost?

[UCAP]

Re: Batteries not included

Probably vibration during launch knocked a connector out. CubeSats have been a major innovation for low-cost satellites, particularly since you build one using off-the-shelf components (there are many companies who manufacture CubeSat mission components). The down side is that the failure rate is just a bit higher than big satellite manufacturers would accept.

[Tom Womack]

Re: Batteries not included

And Artemis was a particularly bad setup for cubesats, because they were installed in July 2021 and then there was no access to them, even for battery recharging, until the launch sixteen months later. 80% functionality rate for things stuck in a drawer for sixteen months is not bad ...

[Auntie Dix]

Bad Bento Box

"The mission was designed to demonstrate the use of low-cost technology to land and explore the Moon's surface."

Turns out that the Hello, Kitty! automated sandwich press was a waste of weight, as no cheese was found on the far side, let alone Gary Larson.

[Joe W]

Re: Bad Bento Box

Have a glass of... uhm... I guesse o-sake-san ---->

for the "bad bento box". Made me spill my... tea. Yeah. I'm working, so it is tea. Honest, guv!

(We're missing a bunch of icons for different types of alcohol)

[Lon24]

Re: Bad Bento Box

Boeing can do you a nice lunar lander for only $200,000 (1940 prices). Just add pressurisation ;-)

NSFW: Sunday Sport frontpage

[Richard 12]

Re: Bad Bento Box

It's the Sunday Sport

[Elongated Muskrat]

Re: Bad Bento Box

Looks more like okonomiyaki to me.

Or possibly a very large takoyaki. Do we need to watch out for space octopuses on the Moon? Science demands to know!

[WonkoTheSane]

Re: Bad Bento Box

Not octopi, spiders!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_the_Moon

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm, risky move..

No more Dark Side Of The Moon?

Well, at least I have the record :).

[Sceptic Tank]

Re: Hmm, risky move..

The moon definitely has a dark side. I can usually see it from my garden.

[I should coco]

"Semi-hard"

Fnaaar fnaaar!

[Lordrobot]

So in spite of the Japanese Tourist picture-taking fetish...

It was a FAILURE...

"The mission was designed to demonstrate the use of low-cost technology to land and explore the Moon's surface."

Low cost aboard a $6 billion dollar rocket? Japan gets the steak knives...

[Francis Boyle]

Well, it's not like

Ryanair uses hang gliders.