A recovery team has regained control of NASA's CAPSTONE probe, which is in the midst of a four month journey to an elliptical halo around the Moon. According to the press release, the problem was traced to a partially opened valve on one of CAPSTONE's eight thrusters. Positive results were achieved this morning after the necessary fix was transmitted yesterday. The probe is on track as it heads around the moon. The third course correction maneuver on September 8 caused difficulties for the CAPSTONE experiment. The satellite lost control and plummeted into the ocean. Advanced Space, which owns and operates CAPSTONE on behalf of NASA, scrambled to regain control of the $33 million cubesat. CAPSTONE couldn't orient its solar panels to draw the full amount of required energy despite the probe's propellant and propulsion system remaining in a manageable state.
The cubesat was launched in June and is on a mission to return to the moon. In order to support Artemis crews, NASA and its international partners are planning to build a space station, called Gateway, in a near-recti linear halo orbit. The need for a scouting mission is due to the fact that no spaceship has worked in the area.
When the system was pressurized, the partially open valve produced thrust in its associated thruster. After conducting multiple tests on the vehicle, the recovery team formulated a plan for attempting to recover the vehicle's full 3- axis control. The recovery sequence was uploaded to the probe on Thursday. Terran Orbital designed and built CAPSTONE.
The initial results are promising, with the new data pointing to a successful recovery of the system. The probe has regained three-axis control and is now in an ideal position to transmit signals back to Earth. The probe is gathering energy from the sun. Advanced Space says that this is a major accomplishment for the mission team and positions the mission well for upcoming critical activities.
In the coming days, the company will keep a close eye on the probe. Changes to operating procedures will be evaluated if there is a repeat. The asteroid is on track to enter into the near-recti linear halo on November 13 with four more course correction maneuvers remaining.
There will be a rare launch of the falcon heavy later this month.
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