NASA’s Arcstone instrument has successfully completed its primary mission to enhance the accuracy of lunar calibration, marking a significant milestone in space-based measurement technology. Launched on June 23, 2023, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Transporter-14, Arcstone is now transitioning into an extended operational phase following its successful technology demonstration.
The mission, orchestrated by NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, involves a specialized spectrometer system designed to measure light reflected by the Moon. This data serves as a reliable calibration source for satellite sensors, critical for mapping the Earth’s surface for various applications, including commercial and scientific uses, as well as consumer technology like smartphone maps.
Arcstone represents the first on-orbit instrument solely focused on improving lunar calibration accuracy. The instrument’s measurements of sunlight reflected off the Moon are crucial in developing a new lunar model that will enhance the calibration of Earth-orbiting sensors.
Cindy Young, the principal investigator for the mission, emphasized the advantages of collecting data in space. “Since Arcstone is gathering measurements in space, the data it collects does not contain atmospheric effects that increase error, and operations are not dependent on having good weather,” she stated. “This helps us acquire consistent and frequent lunar sampling.”
As of now, Arcstone has successfully gathered over 240 lunar observations, demonstrating its measurement capabilities in orbit. The next steps for the science team involve processing and validating the collected raw data to ensure accuracy.
This technology demonstration is a low-cost initiative funded by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office and its In-space Validation of Earth Science Technologies Program. Collaborating institutions include the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as well as private partners like Resonon Inc., Blue Canyon Technologies, and Quartus Engineering.
The successful completion of Arcstone’s primary mission is expected to have broad implications for future lunar and Earth observation technologies, ultimately enhancing the precision of various satellite measurements crucial for both scientific research and everyday applications.