The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, is a CubeSat that will fly a special orbit around the Moon planned for NASAs future Artemis lunar outpost Gateway. Mission crews for NASAs Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) have actually re-established contact with the spacecraft through NASAs Deep Space Network after experiencing communications issues. The signal validated that CAPSTONE was in the anticipated place, as predicted based on information from CAPSTONEs preliminary contacts on July 4.
The objective group, led by Advanced Space, at first re-established contact with CAPSTONE at 9:26 a.m. EDT (6:26 a.m. PDT) on July 6. The signal verified that CAPSTONE was in the expected place, as predicted based on information from CAPSTONEs initial contacts on July 4. The group began recovery treatments and began getting telemetry data from the spacecraft at 10:18 a.m. EDT (7:18 a.m. PDT)..
After its launch on June 28, CAPSTONE orbited Earth connected to Rocket Labs Photon upper phase, which navigated CAPSTONE into position for its voyage to the Moon. Photons engines fired 7 times over the very first 6 days at essential minutes to raise the orbits highest point to around 810,000 miles (1,300,000 km) from Earth prior to releasing the CAPSTONE CubeSat on its ballistic lunar transfer trajectory to the Moon.
By NASA
July 6, 2022
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, is a CubeSat that will fly a special orbit around the Moon intended for NASAs future Artemis lunar station Gateway. Its six-month mission will assist release a brand-new age of deep area expedition. Credit: NASA Ames Research
Objective operators have re-established contact with NASAs CAPSTONE spacecraft.
Objective crews for NASAs Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) have actually re-established contact with the spacecraft by means of NASAs Deep Space Network after experiencing communications issues. Teams are preparing to perform CAPSTONEs first trajectory change maneuver as early as 11:30 a.m. EDT (8:30 a.m. PDT) on July 7.
CAPSTONE interacts with Earth through NASAs Deep Space Network.
In the meantime, the CAPSTONE team is still actively working to completely establish the source of the concern. Ground-based testing suggests the concern was activated throughout commissioning activities of the communications system. The team will continue to evaluate the information leading up to the interactions issue and screen CAPSTONEs status.