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LINUSS2

Lunar Navigation Technology Demonstrator · NASA / Advanced Space

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LINUSS 2, the companion satellite to LINUSS 1, completes a pair testing navigation technology for LunaNet — NASA's planned lunar positioning network intended to give future Artemis missions the same reliable GPS-like navigation on the Moon that's taken entirely for granted on Earth. Testing this kind of technology in Earth orbit first, before ever committing it to an actual lunar mission, is standard practice — cheaper to fix a bug 310 miles up than 236,000 miles away.

Its orbit

Orbit
Geostationaryappears to hang motionless over one spot on the equator
Altitude
22,442–22,470 mi (36,117–36,162 km)
Inclination
5.6°
One orbit
24.2 hoursabout one orbit a day
NORAD ID
55247
Int’l designator
2022-144H
Launched
2022

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.

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