Professor Hashimoto Tatsuaki who leads the OMOTENASHI team reports here with sad news about the CubeSat Moon lander. After separation from the SLS, the radio signal from the CubeSat was unstable and it was difficult to get telemetry from NASA’s Deep Space Network Madrid station.
RT @OMOTENASHI_JAXA@twitter.com
OMOTENASHIチーム長の橋本です。Twitter担当者は復旧活動に集中しており、私から報告します。ロケットから分離後、探査機からの電波が安定せずNASA DSNマドリード局ではなかなかテレメトリがロックしませんでした。
🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/OMOTENASHI_JAXA/status/1593171866818318338
When OMOTENASHI finally locked with the ground station, the solar cells were found to be facing away from the Sun but the CubeSat was rotating fast. Rather than using the attitude control to redirect the solar cells, the team therefore released a gas jet to stop the spin. https://twitter.com/omotenashi_jaxa/status/1593172326526640128
But as the battery voltage dropped, the team switched from stopping spin to using the gas jet to change the spin axis to point the solar cells towards the Sun. But as Madrid went out of range, the transmitter turned off due to lack of voltage. Communication has not been restored. https://twitter.com/omotenashi_jaxa/status/1593172543355367430
OMOTENASHI was developed over a period of six years. No equipment is currently thought to be malfunctioning, so the team are determined to keep trying to recover the attitude of the CubeSat and complete the mission. https://twitter.com/omotenashi_jaxa/status/1593180083610857473
SPACE IS HARD Y’ALL 😰 I really appreciate the mission leader of OMOTENASHI reaching out to inform everyone of the status during these difficulties.
OMOTENASHI is an incredibly cool mission to become the smallest lunar lander. I wish the team the absolute best of luck.
The NASA Deep Space Network (https://eyes.nasa.gov/dsn/dsn.html ) is showing an up signal to OMOTENASHI from one of the Goldstone antennas. I think this must be the team trying to communicate with the little moon lander. It’s a bit like watching heart compressions 💔😰 COME ON, OMOTENASHI!!
The OMOTENASHI team were continuing recovery operations today (November 18).
https://twitter.com/OMOTENASHI_JAXA/status/1593527275697238017
If the rotation state of OMOTENASHI changes so that the solar cells can be illuminated, the CubeSat will wake up. With power restored, OMOTENASHI will automatically begin transmitting radio waves. The team will continue to check for this every day.
https://twitter.com/OMOTENASHI_JAXA/status/1593527476013371392
If radio waves are transmitted, the team will try adjusting attitude to receive more sunlight. Driving the reaction wheels manually to alter attitude is also being considered. While there is a possibility of landing on the Moon, we will do our very best.
https://twitter.com/OMOTENASHI_JAXA/status/1593527788295794688?s=20&t=W3Qu7563aHUat944YlUi1w
The team will share further information in the morning of November 21st JST. Hopefully, we will have good news to share, but any case, we will be doing the very best we can at all times.
https://twitter.com/OMOTENASHI_JAXA/status/1593530998855454723
I did briefly see a down signal on the NASA Deep Space Network for OMOTENASHI (!), but it's not carrying any data (0.00 b/sec). @Aero_actor@twitter.com explained this means that the signal is weak or unstable. But... a carrier signal might mean the battery recharged... IT'S HOPE, DAMN IT!
An update on Monday November 21 from the OMOTENASHI Team. Unfortunately, the news remains poor. The team thank everyone for their support, but say they are currently still not receiving a radio signal from the CubeSat.
https://twitter.com/OMOTENASHI_JAXA/status/1594496315261534209
@jegpeek Perform a semi-hard landing on the Moon (that's the purpose: CubeSats are too small to have a lot of different tasks). It's aiming to be the world's smallest lunar lander, making the landing without the usual heavy landing gear: https://cosmos.isas.jaxa.jp/omotenashi-equuleus-the-tiny-spacecraft-onboard-the-worlds-most-powerful-rocket/