A secret science satellite posing as a comsat?
To quote:
"A mission rescue via lunar swingby is under serious consideration, but issues of ownership remain to be settled. And even if the probe cannot be moved into an operational 24-hour orbit, it can certainly be sent out to the moon on an Arab space mission. ... The Saudis would love it."
But does it have the ability to actually study the Moon,
or would this essentially be a stunt?
The other comsat that had to use the Moon to get in the
proper Earth orbit did not have any means to study our
natural satellite, so why should this one be able to - or
was this the plan all along?