Bid Adieu to NASA's Lunar Flashlight as the spacecraft zooms by Earth today

NASA's Lunar Flashlight mission has concluded, and on Wednesday, May 17, at 12:44 a.m. EDT, the CubeSat will swiftly fly by Earth. The tiny spacecraft will pass approximately 40,000 miles (65,000 kilometres) from our planet's surface.

Following its passage by Earth, the CubeSat will proceed to enter an orbit around the Sun. In November 2037, Lunar Flashlight's orbit will bring it in proximity to Earth once again.

NASA's Eyes on the Solar System 3D visualization tool will keep an eye on the briefcase-size spacecraft, giving users a front-row seat to the flyby. In addition, amateur astronomers in the Southern Hemisphere may have the opportunity to spot the CubeSat using their telescopes.

"As Lunar Flashlight zooms by, it may reflect enough sunlight from its solar panels that it could be seen through a modest telescope," said Barbara Cohen, Lunar Flashlight principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Say farewell to Lunar Flashlight! Now that its mission has ended, the CubeSat makes a close approach with Earth on May 17 at 4:44 UTC. How to see it:1) With NASA's Eyes on the Solar System interactive2) Through a telescope from the Southern Hemisphere https://t.co/N3Xyn0iEFq pic.twitter.com/PpRzHoCvzG

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) May 16, 2023

Lunar Flashlight was launched on December 11, 2022, on a long journey to test new technologies and address knowledge gaps by exploring permanently shadowed craters on the Moon's South Pole.

However, shortly after its launch, the spacecraft encountered an issue with its thrusters. Despite extensive troubleshooting efforts spanning several months, the spacecraft was unable to execute critical maneuvers necessary to enter an orbit around Earth and conduct monthly flybys of the Moon's South Pole. Realizing that Lunar Flashlight could not achieve the required orbit for lunar observations, NASA made the decision to conclude the remainder of the mission.