## Mission Details **Customer:** [[NASA]], [[Advanced Space]] **CAPSTONE**’s primary objective is to test and verify the calculated orbital stability of a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit around the Moon, the same orbit planned for [Gateway](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/gateway/). Rocket Lab was contracted to provide the [[Explorer#Lunar Photon|Lunar Photon]] spacecraft and launch services for the mission. **NASA’s Gateway** is a small space station that will orbit around the Moon to provide astronauts with access to the lunar surface. It will feature living quarters for astronauts, a lab for science and research and ports for visiting spacecraft. CAPSTONE will also test a navigation system developed by Advanced Space that will measure its absolute position in cislunar space using interaction with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter without relying on ground stations for navigation support. CAPSTONE is one of the first steps to learn how to operate more robust missions in this unique orbit, thus laying the groundwork for future exploration of our solar system. 🔗 [CAPSTONE Mission Update to Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference](http://www.intersmallsatconference.com/past/2024/A.2%20-%20Gardner/Gardner%20CAPSTONE_ISSC%202024%2004_30_24.pdf) ![[Pasted image 20241230003604.png]] ### Links 🔗 [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/capstone/) 🔗 [Rocket Lab](https://rocketlabcorp.com/missions/lunar/) 🔗 [EO Portal](https://www.eoportal.org/ftp/satellite-missions/c/Capstone_151021/Capstone.html) ## Launch 🚀 [[027 - CAPSTONE]] ## Spacecraft #### [[Explorer#Lunar Photon|Lunar Photon]] ![[Explorer#Lunar Photon#Summary]] ## Payload #### [[Advanced Space#CAPSTONE]] ![[Advanced Space#CAPSTONE#Summary]] ## Objectives - ### ✅ Validate and demonstrate NRHO / highly dynamic Earth-Moon Operations. The first mission objective is focused on mitigating technical uncertainties associated with operating in the uniquely beneficial and challenging orbital regime defined as NRHO (Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits). This objective will include demonstrating navigation capabilities and validating station-keeping strategies and operational simulations. This objective will directly support future missions through dissemination of operational information and by obtaining operational experience in this unique orbital regime. - ### ✅ Inform future lunar exploration requirements and operations. The second CAPSTONE mission objective is focused on building experience operating in complex lunar orbital regimes to inform future lunar exploration requirements and operations, including human exploration flights with lower risk thresholds and higher certainty of success requirements. This will include the establishment of commercially available capacity to support NASA, commercial, and international lunar missions in the future. This objective also seeks to demonstrate the capacity of innovative NASA-industry approaches to rapidly bring capabilities to the Moon and challenge current expectations for cost and schedule. - ### ✅ Demonstrate and accelerate the infusion of the CAPS (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System). The third objective is focused on demonstrating core technical components of CAPS in an orbital demonstration. This objective will include collaboration with the operations team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to demonstrate inter-spacecraft ranging between the CAPSTONE spacecraft and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) currently in operation at the Moon. In addition to demonstrating key inter-spacecraft navigation in cislunar space, CAPSTONE will also enhance the technology readiness level of the CAPS software. This accelerated maturation will permit it to be available to support near term flight plans to the Moon and to be more widely adopted by future lunar missions and thus increase the value of this peer-to-peer navigation capability. ## Mission Timeline **⏳ Planned Duration:** *10 Months* **28 Jun 2022 – 🚀 Launch** CAPSTONE launched on Rocket Lab’s **Electron** from Mahia, NZ; **Lunar Photon** upper stage carried it beyond LEO. **28 Jun 2022 – 🛰️ Lunar Photon Orbit Raising** Lunar Photon performed orbit-raising maneuvers for ballistic lunar transfer. **4 Jul 2022 – 🔄 Separation** CAPSTONE separated from Lunar Photon, began solo transit to the Moon. **~5 Jul 2022 – ⚙️ TCM-1** First Trajectory Correction Maneuver to refine the path. **8 Sep 2022 – 🆘 TCM-3 & Tumbling** Partially open thruster valve caused tumbling; entered **safe mode**; recovered after weeks. [Source](https://advancedspace.com/capstone-mission-recovery-success-update/) **Sep–Nov 2022 – ⚙️ Additional TCMs** TCM-2 (~55 days pre-insertion), TCM-4 (~20 days), TCM-5 (~10 days), TCM-6 (~5 days) to fine-tune lunar approach. **13 Nov 2022 – 🌓 NRHO Insertion** Final burn inserted CAPSTONE into **Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO)** around the Moon. **13 Nov 2022 – 🔧 ICM-1 & ICM-2** Initial corrections to refine NRHO insertion. **Nov 2022–Mid 2023 – 🔄 OMMs** Regular orbit maintenance maneuvers every 6–7 days to test station-keeping for Gateway. **2022–2024 – 📡 Tech Demos** - Verified NRHO stability & dynamics - Tested **Iris radio** + **CSAC** for one-way nav - Crosslinked with NASA’s **LRO** to measure range & velocity **Late 2024–Present – 🔍 Extended Mission** Continued ops & experiments to refine cislunar navigation tech. **TBD – ☠️ Decommissioning** Planned safe disposal to heliocentric orbit or lunar surface. ## Media ### NASA Promotional  🔗 Backup Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSwJzy5LXb0 --- ### Scott Manley Video  🔗 Backup Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIodnH5aFI8