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Moonlighter

retired
Technology DemonstrationLEOCOSPAR 1998-067VULaunched 6/5/2023
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
Dragon CRS-28 Mission
Launch Vehicle
Falcon 9 FT5
Launch Date
6/5/2023
Last Contact
1/22/2024
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
LEO
Altitude
414.5 km
Inclination
51.64 deg
Dry Mass
4 kg
Total Mass
4 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Technology Demonstration
Payload Category
TECH
Payload Class
D
Organizations
Operator
Aerospace Corporation
Manufacturer
Aerospace Corporation
Registry
COSPAR ID
1998-067VU
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/1149
Track
Mentions
6
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

The U.S. Space Force has conducted the Moonlight Defender series of cyber exercises using Aerospace Corp.'s Moonlighter 3U cube satellite.

GeneralCapabilityValue 4.0Nov 18, 2025Latest News

Aerospace Corporation will launch Moonlighter on SpaceX CRS-28.

PlanGeneralValue 4.0Jun 4, 2023World’s 1st hacking testbed in space to launch on the SpaceX CRS-28 mission on June 5th

Moonlighter is scheduled to launch in 2023 to host the Hack-A-Sat 4 final event, which will be the first on-orbit capture-the-flag competition.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Oct 25, 2022Department of the Air Force’s space-focused hacking competition winners announced…

The Hack-A-Sat 3 game environment was based on Moonlighter, a satellite being designed to advance security researcher knowledge and skills in securing space systems.

CapabilityGeneralValue 2.6Oct 25, 2022Department of the Air Force’s space-focused hacking competition winners announced…

Moonlighter is scheduled to launch on an International Space Station resupply mission in the summer of 2023.

PlanGeneralValue 3.8Jun 23, 2022International space security researchers qualify for the 3rd annual Hack-A-Sat competition organized by USSF and USAF

Hack-A-Sat 3 is based on the development of Moonlighter, a satellite being designed and built to advance security researcher knowledge and skills in securing space systems.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Apr 19, 2022Space Security Challenge 2022: Hack-A-Sat 3 Registration Is Open