The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, is a CubeSat that will fly an unique orbit around the Moon planned for NASAs future Artemis lunar station Gateway. Its six-month objective will assist release a brand-new age of deep space exploration. Credit: NASA Ames Research
Following successful release and start of spacecraft commissioning on July 4, the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) spacecraft experienced interactions concerns while in contact with the Deep Space Network (DSN). The spacecraft group presently is working to understand the cause and re-establish contact. The team has great trajectory data for the spacecraft based on the first complete and second partial ground station pass with the Deep Space Network. The objective has enough fuel to delay the initial post-separation trajectory correction maneuver for a number of days if required.
According to Advanced Space, who is flying the spacecraft on behalf of NASA, the operations group is actively working on this concern with the Deep Space Network and determining the very best next actions:
CAPSTONE will fly in a distinct, halo-shaped orbit around the Moon prior to the orbit is utilized by Gateway, NASAs future lunar outpost for our Artemis program. The CAPSTONE mission, short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, will confirm navigation technologies and orbital dynamics for Gateway, which will one day function as a staging area for objectives to the Moon and possibly as a leaping point for missions to Mars.
As an outcome of this abnormality, the very first trajectory correction maneuver– initially set up for the early morning of July 5th– has actually been postponed. This maneuver is designed to more accurately target the transfer orbit to the Moon. This maneuver is the very first in a series that are developed to make small corrections to increase the accuracy of the transfer orbit to the Moon. The spacecraft remains on the total intended ballistic lunar transfer (BLT) while this targeting maneuver is delayed.
One of the benefits of the BLT, the designed trajectory, is its toughness to delays such as this.
The mission transfer technique and system margins offer time to comprehend this abnormality and deal with before continuing with the first trajectory correction maneuver.
At the time of publication, the CAPSTONE spacecraft is presently approximately 285,000 km (175,000 miles) from Earth (~ 8 times GEO) on its scheduled ballistic transfer orbit to the Moon.
Following CAPSTONEs preliminary deployment on July 4, the spacecraft had the ability to effectively release solar arrays, stabilize, and started charging its onboard battery. CAPSTONEs propulsion system was likewise prepared for the spacecrafts first maneuver. CAPSTONE made initial contact with the DSN ground station in Madrid, Spain, followed by a partial contact with the Goldstone ground station in California. From these contacts, mission operators have actually had the ability to figure out CAPSTONEs approximate position and speed in space.
According to Advanced Space, the spacecraft was commissioning nominally for the very first 11 hours:
Spacecraft was deployed successfully from the launch car.
Spacecraft effectively deployed solar ranges, attained three-axis stabilization, and got in a battery charging mode.
Spacecraft successfully executed Earth-pointing mode, interacted with DSN stations in Madrid Spain and the operations team began check-out and commissioning of the spacecraft.
The operations team was able to identify spacecraft state (position and velocity) and design initial trajectory correction maneuver.
Propulsion system was commissioned and gotten ready for the very first trajectory correction maneuver.
As an outcome of the communications problems, CAPSTONEs first trajectory correction maneuver– originally arranged for the early morning of July 5– has been postponed. This maneuver is the very first in a series that are designed to make small corrections to increase the accuracy of the transfer orbit to the Moon, and the spacecraft stays on the overall intended ballistic lunar transfer while awaiting this trajectory correction.
Teams are working to deal with CAPSTONEs interactions problems.
Following successful release and start of spacecraft commissioning on July 4, the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) spacecraft experienced interactions issues while in contact with the Deep Space Network (DSN). The group has great trajectory data for the spacecraft based on the first complete and second partial ground station pass with the Deep Space Network. The spacecraft remains on the total intended ballistic lunar transfer (BLT) while this targeting maneuver is delayed.
Following CAPSTONEs preliminary implementation on July 4, the spacecraft was able to effectively deploy solar varieties, stabilize, and began charging its onboard battery. CAPSTONEs propulsion system was also readied for the spacecrafts first maneuver.