The pathfinding cubesat mission will be launched by Rocket Lab early next month.
The CAPSTONE experiment tips the scales at a modest 55 pounds (25 kilograms). This microwave-oven-sized spacecraft will be lofted from New Zealand aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket.
The launch window lasts from May 3 to May 15.
There are photos of the rocket lab and its booster.
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...
The CAPSTONE cubesat is supported by the Small Spacecraft Technology program and the Human Exploration and Operations mission of the Advanced Exploration Systems program.
Advanced Space CEO Bradley Cheetham told Space.com that they are proud of the progress the CAPSTONE team has made. As we get closer to launch, we are reminded that CAPSTONE is just the beginning of laying the groundwork for sustainable exploration and development of the moon.
The purpose of CAPSTONE is to test and verify the calculated Orbital Stability around the moon. The same will be used for NASA's lunar gateway, a small space station that will provide astronauts access to the lunar surface.
The L1 or L2 family of halo orbits has favorable stability properties. A change in the position and/or speed of a spaceship will grow over time because of the instability of most halo orbits. Some of the NR HOs are stable, with some requiring a small amount of stationkeeping propellant.
By taking advantage of the points between the Earth and the moon where the gravity is balanced out, the spacecraft can save energy. It takes less fuel to enter the circle because of it's shape. For at least six months, CAPSTONE will test and appraise this extremely long and halo-shaped circle.
CAPSTONE will be within 1,000 miles of one lunar pole on its near pass and 43,500 miles from the other pole on its peak every seven days. It will require less power to fly to and from the moon compared to a more circular path.
The moon timeline is about humanity's explorations of the moon.
The CAPS is a proprietary navigation capability that CAPSTONE is showcasing. It will do so by evaluating the navigation and communications systems of the moon.
The goal of the project is to show that two moon-orbiting spacecraft can communicate and track their positions outside of Earth.
CAPSTONE was built and tested by Terran Orbital Corporation in Irvine, California. The propulsion subsystem is provided by Stellar Exploration.
On April 1, Advanced Space held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its Mission Operations Center Facility, complete with a full-size model of CAPSTONE on display.
The chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science was at the event. Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, was in attendance and pushed the boundaries of what small spacecraft can accomplish.
CAPSTONE is an example of what happens when the right people are brought together and they move in a coordinated fashion, according to Hickenlooper.
Hickenlooper said that NASA's Artemis program is going to "explorate" this country.
If we are going to compete on a global basis in science and space, it is an all hands on deck situation, according to Hickenlooper.
Advanced Space entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to share data from the CAPSTONE mission.
The data collected from CAPSTONE will be shared by the CRADA. Military officials said that the opportunity to analyze data from the mission will be beneficial for future mission design and navigation strategies.
The CAPSTONE mission will provide valuable insight to fortify our space domain awareness of cislunar space, a domain of increased importance, according to James Frith, AFRL's program manager for Cislunar Space Domain Awareness.
The book "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" was published by National Geographic in May 2019. David has been reporting on the space industry for more than 50 years. Follow us on social media.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
