NASA Launch Broadcast
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE™) mission launched on June 28th, 2022 at 3:55a.m. MT. The CAPSTONE mission is a rapid and low-cost small spacecraft pathfinder that will gather operational data ahead of the Artemis program that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. This milestone supports the first launch for NASA’s Artemis program and the first commercial and privately owned satellite to operate at the Moon. This mission is leveraging a highly efficient transfer to the Moon and will demonstrate our proprietary peer-to-peer navigation capability in the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS™).
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE™) mission launched on June 28th, 2022 at 3:55a.m. MT. The CAPSTONE mission is a rapid and low-cost small spacecraft pathfinder that will gather operational data ahead of the Artemis program that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. This milestone supports the first launch for NASA’s Artemis program and the first commercial and privately owned satellite to operate at the Moon. This mission is leveraging a highly efficient transfer to the Moon and will demonstrate our proprietary peer-to-peer navigation capability in the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS™).
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE™) mission launched on June 28th at 3:55a.m. MT. The CAPSTONE mission is a rapid and low-cost small spacecraft pathfinder that will gather operational data ahead of the Artemis program that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. This milestone supports the first launch for NASA’s Artemis program and the first commercial and privately owned satellite to operate at the Moon. This mission is leveraging a highly efficient transfer to the Moon and will demonstrate our proprietary peer-to-peer navigation capability in the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS™).
From Idea to Mission
Like many missions, CAPSTONE™ started with a question: what does a safe, sustainable future at the Moon look like? How do we bridge the gap between today and that future?
Advanced Space began to develop CAPS™, and NASA moved out on its plans to land the first woman and next man on the Moon. The two paths led to common ground and resulted in the pursuit of a rapid technology demonstration that will provide valuable experience for future efforts headed to the Moon.
From Idea to Mission
Like many missions, CAPSTONE™ started with a question: what does a safe, sustainable future at the Moon look like? How do we bridge the gap between today and that future?
Advanced Space began to develop CAPS, and NASA moved out on its plans to land the first woman and next man on the Moon. The two paths led to common ground and resulted in the pursuit of a rapid technology demonstration that will provide valuable experience for future efforts headed to the Moon.
Advanced Space
Advanced Space, thanks to an innovative collaboration and partnership with NASA, owns and operates the spacecraft for the entirety of its mission. Our team designed the mission orbits, oversaw the design and manufacture of the hardware, and will be performing flight dynamics operations on-site in our Colorado offices.
NASA
CAPSTONE™ is supported by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through the Small Spacecraft Technology program and by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate through the Advanced Exploration Systems program. The CAPSTONE launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services program. CAPS™ is supported by NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Key Partners
Terran Orbital Corporation: Based in California, Terran Orbital is the manufacturing partner in drafting and executing the hardware that will fly CAPSTONE. Along with machining the satellite bus, they are responsible for the assembly and testing of the subsystems that are going into the spacecraft.
Stellar Exploration, Inc: CAPSTONE’s propulsion system was designed, tested, and manufactured by Stellar Exploration, Inc. also located in California. The system was initially supported by NASA’s SBIR program.
Rocket Lab: Providing the launch services for CAPSTONE™, Rocket Lab will fly the spacecraft on a dedicated Electron flight to put it on the path for the mission’s Ballistic Lunar Transfer that will send CAPSTONE towards the Moon to execute its insertion into the NRHO mission orbit.
Advanced Space
Advanced Space, thanks to an innovative collaboration and partnership with NASA, owns and operates the spacecraft for the entirety of its mission. Our team designed the mission orbits, oversaw the design and manufacture of the hardware, and will be performing flight dynamics operations on-site in our Colorado offices.
NASA
CAPSTONE is supported by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through the Small Spacecraft Technology program and by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate through the Advanced Exploration Systems program. The CAPSTONE launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services program. CAPS is supported by NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Key Partners
Terran Orbital Corporation: Based in California, Terran Orbital is the manufacturing partner in drafting and executing the hardware that will fly CAPSTONE. Along with machining the satellite bus, they are responsible for the assembly and testing of the subsystems that are going into the spacecraft.
Stellar Exploration, Inc: CAPSTONE’s propulsion system was designed, tested, and manufactured by Stellar Exploration, Inc. also located in California. The system was initially supported by NASA’s SBIR program.
Rocket Lab: Providing the launch services for CAPSTONE, Rocket Lab will fly the spacecraft on a dedicated Electron flight to put it on the path for the mission’s Ballistic Lunar Transfer that will send CAPSTONE towards the Moon to execute its insertion into the NRHO mission orbit.
A Story in a Patch
The mission patch is a snapshot of CAPSTONE™’s daily life at the Moon with details that thread its story through past, present, and future.
- The Past: Nodding to the Apollo patches of the past, the stars honor those in the program who were lost but not forgotten. Our stars represent the late Dr. George Born and Darrell D. Cain, both of whom were foundational to Advanced Space’s technical expertise and core beliefs.
- The Present: The orbit that CAPSTONE™ will be traversing is integral to the Artemis program. By being the first craft to navigate this NRHO, CAPSTONE™ will provide pathfinding data and experience to go beyond. The extension of the orbit beyond the confines of the patch represents the pathfinder nature of the mission. The location markers on the spacecraft and above the Moon represent the technology demonstration of CAPS™.
- The Future: We see a future at Mars enabled by the technology demonstrated during the CAPSTONE™ mission. And so, we put Mars on the horizon for the next giant leap, as seen in the red point among the stars.
A Collaborative Effort
The Details
- The central A is the Artemis arrow tip
- The orbit is from the Advanced Space logo
- The inner red path points the future journey to Mars
- The Moon element is central to CAPSTONE™ and Artemis.
A Story in a Patch
The mission patch is a snapshot of CAPSTONE™’s daily life at the Moon with details that thread its story through past, present, and future.
- The Past: Nodding to the Apollo patches of the past, the stars honor those in the program who were lost but not forgotten. Our stars represent the late Dr. George Born and Darrell D. Cain, both of whom were foundational to Advanced Space’s technical expertise and core beliefs.
- The Present: The orbit that CAPSTONE™ will be traversing is integral to the Artemis program. By being the first craft to navigate this NRHO, CAPSTONE™ will provide pathfinding data and experience to go beyond. The extension of the orbit beyond the confines of the patch represents the pathfinder nature of the mission. The location markers on the spacecraft and above the Moon represent the technology demonstration of CAPS™.
- The Future: We see a future at Mars enabled by the technology demonstrated during the CAPSTONE™ mission. And so, we put Mars on the horizon for the next giant leap, as seen in the red point among the stars.
A Collaborative Effort
With this mission being a coordinated effort between commercial and public interests, we wanted a representation of that collaboration through the logo. The result is a harmonious joining of two brands into a singular idea.
The Details
- The central A is the Artemis arrow tip
- The orbit is from the Advanced Space logo
- The inner red path points the future journey to Mars
- The Moon element is central to CAPSTONE™ and Artemis
A Story in a Patch
The mission patch is a snapshot of CAPSTONE™’s daily life at the Moon with details that thread its story through past, present, and future.
- The Past: Nodding to the Apollo patches of the past, the stars honor those in the program who were lost but not forgotten. Our stars represent the late Dr. George Born and Darrell D. Cain, both of whom were foundational to Advanced Space’s technical expertise and core beliefs.
- The Present: The orbit that CAPSTONE™ will be traversing is integral to the Artemis program. By being the first craft to navigate this NRHO, CAPSTONE™ will provide pathfinding data and experience to go beyond. The extension of the orbit beyond the confines of the patch represents the pathfinder nature of the mission. The location markers on the spacecraft and above the Moon represent the the technology demonstration of CAPS™.
- The Future: We see a future at Mars enabled by the technology demonstrated during the CAPSTONE™ mission. And so, we put Mars on the horizon for the next giant leap, as seen in the red point among the stars.
A Collaborative Effort
With this mission being a coordinated effort between commercial and public interests, we wanted a representation of that collaboration through the logo. The result is a harmonious joining of two brands into a singular idea.
The Details
- The central A is the Artemis arrow tip
- The orbit is from the Advanced Space logo
- The inner red path points the future journey to Mars
- The Moon element is central to CAPSTONE™ and Artemis
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most common questions that come up when describing the CAPSTONE™ mission.
What is CAPS™?
CAPS™ stands for ‘Cislunar Autonomous Position System‘! It provides position and speed information to other spacecraft which are flying close to the Moon, similar to how a smartphone uses signals from multiple GPS satellites to determine its exact location on Earth. Currently, there is no standard way to determine a spacecraft’s position at the Moon without relying on Earth-based measurements. While this not a problem when there are only a handful of missions happening at any given moment in time, the Moon is going to be getting a lot busier in the near future and there aren’t a lot of options available for phoning home from the Moon. CAPS™ is aiming to reduce that pressure on ground systems by enabling spacecraft to keep in touch with one another and allow them to keep track of their positions without needing to check back in with Earth constantly.
What are the objectives of the CAPSTONE™ mission?
CAPSTONE™’s primary mission is to pioneer a new and challenging lunar orbit in order to help inform future operations for NASA’s new lunar space station and the rest of the ARTEMIS program. The secondary objective is to test the CAPS™ technology which will enable navigation services for the Moon using 1 to 2 satellites instead of using 20+ satellites for Earth based GPS. Also several Commercial and Civil spacecraft are expected to arrive at the Moon in the next few years. However, there are only a few massive dishes that have the signal strength to reach the Moon. CAPS™ will reduce the amount of calls that need to be sent back home to Earth.
Why is CAPSTONE™ using a Ballistic Lunar Transfer (BLT)?
The fuel required for a spacecraft to insert into lunar orbit from a BLT is much less than a standard lunar transfer. From a design standpoint, this means that the spacecraft can carry less fuel, deliver heavier payloads, and have a simpler propulsion system. Demonstrating a BLT as a viable way to arrive and enter the very specific Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) will be beneficial for large future missions that will need to be delivered to the Moon in preparation of the Lunar Gateway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most common questions that come up when describing the CAPSTONE™ mission.
What is CAPS™?
CAPS™ stands for ‘Cislunar Autonomous Position System‘! It provides position and speed information to other spacecraft which are flying close to the Moon, similar to how a smartphone uses signals from multiple GPS satellites to determine its exact location on Earth. Currently, there is no standard way to determine a spacecraft’s position at the Moon without relying on Earth-based measurements. While this not a problem when there are only a handful of missions happening at any given moment in time, the Moon is going to be getting a lot busier in the near future and there aren’t a lot of options available for phoning home from the Moon. CAPS™ is aiming to reduce that pressure on ground systems by enabling spacecraft to keep in touch with one another and allow them to keep track of their positions without needing to check back in with Earth constantly.
What are the objectives of the CAPSTONE™ mission?
CAPSTONE™’s primary mission is to pioneer a new and challenging lunar orbit in order to help inform future operations for NASA’s new lunar space station and the rest of the ARTEMIS program. The secondary objective is to test the CAPS™ technology which will enable navigation services for the Moon using 1 to 2 satellites instead of using 20+ satellites for Earth based GPS. Also several Commercial and Civil spacecraft are expected to arrive at the Moon in the next few years. However, there are only a few massive dishes that have the signal strength to reach the Moon. CAPS™ will reduce the amount of calls that need to be sent back home to Earth.
Why is CAPSTONE™ using a Ballistic Lunar Transfer (BLT)?
The fuel required for a spacecraft to insert into lunar orbit from a BLT is much less than a standard lunar transfer. From a design standpoint, this means that the spacecraft can carry less fuel, deliver heavier payloads, and have a simpler propulsion system. Demonstrating a BLT as a viable way to arrive and enter the very specific Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) will be beneficial for large future missions that will need to be delivered to the Moon in preparation of the Lunar Gateway.
The Role of the Pathfinder
“[The purpose of flight research] is to separate the real from the imagined problems and to make known the overlooked and the unexpected.”
“Experience is earned by the number of iterations completed, not the number of years spent.“
The Role of the Pathfinder
“[The purpose of flight research] is to separate the real from the imagined problems and to make known the overlooked and the unexpected.”
“Experience is earned by the number of iterations completed, not the number of years spent.“
The Role of the Pathfinder
“[The purpose of flight research] is to separate the real from the imagined problems and to make known the overlooked and the unexpected.”
“Experience is earned by the number of iterations completed, not the number of years spent.“