Artemis II in Focus: Tracking a Historic Journey to the Moon
- Passive tracking of Artemis II using the SMART-03-B telescope, including observation of the separation between Orion and its propulsion stage.
- These observations are part of our SMARTnet campaigns focused on significant space events.
- Additional campaigns include DART, orbit correction maneuvers, and spacecraft operations.
The Artemis II mission marks a major milestone on humanity’s return to the Moon—and we had the opportunity to follow part of this historic journey from Earth.
Using our 25 cm telescope SMART-03-B, located in El Sauce, Chile, we successfully tracked passively the Orion spacecraft as it travelled through the night sky. The observations clearly captured both the crew module and its propulsion stage, which could be seen gradually drifting apart after separation—offering a rare and fascinating visual of this critical mission phase.
These observations are part of our dedicated special observation campaigns within SMARTnet and with our own telescope infrastructure. Through these campaigns, we monitor extraordinary space events and document key moments in space exploration.
Our activities include, among others, missions such as the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), relocation campaigns of Galileo and geostationary satellites, as well as manoeuvring spacecrafts. More information can be found here
Contact
Hauke Fiedler