Nov 13, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
CAPSTONE made its initial insertion into the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) on Sunday, November 13th. Two smaller correction maneuvers will take place this week to ensure the spacecraft is confirmed into the complex lunar orbit. This NRHO is an orbit around the Moon that has never been flown before and it is the intended orbit for the Gateway space station. NASA intends to use Gateway to support Artemis missions to the lunar surface. CAPSTONE is the first CubeSat to fly to and operate at the Moon. (more…)
Nov 13, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission, Community, Team
The CAPSTONE Countdown is nearly over! We are mere hours from arriving at the Moon, and there would be no mission without the incredible work of the Advanced Space CAPSTONE Mission Operations Team. From orbit determination and navigation to all the details behind the scenes, thank you to this talented team of engineers, technicians, and more: (more…)
Oct 31, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
Advanced Space Data Analysis Shows Recent Trajectory Maneuver was Successful
Westminster, CO (October 31, 2022) Advanced Space LLC., a leading space tech solutions company with breakthrough navigation technology, completed its fourth trajectory correction maneuver (TCM) for CAPSTONE on Thursday. TCM-4 was the fourth of six planned maneuvers en route to the Moon, targeting the precise orbit for the CAPSTONE demonstration. This follows the restoration of the spacecraft’s capabilities as it has recovered from the anomaly that occurred after TCM-3. (more…)
Oct 7, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
Over the past couple of weeks, the CAPSTONE mission team has been working to resolve an anomaly that occurred early last month and resulted in the spacecraft losing full 3-axis attitude control and entering into a spin stabilized state. Through extensive analysis and evaluation supported by a dedicated team of individuals on the mission team and key partners, the most likely cause of the anomaly was identified as a valve related issue on one of the spacecraft’s eight (8) thrusters. The partially open valve resulted in thrust from the associated thruster whenever the propulsion system was pressurized. To attempt a recovery from this condition, the mission team conducted multiple tests on the vehicle and evaluated extensive telemetry and simulation data and then formulated a plan for attempting recovery of the vehicle’s full 3-axis control. (more…)
Sep 30, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
On September 21st, we provided an update on the CAPSTONE mission. Below is a new update. (more…)
Sep 21, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
On September 15th, we provided an update on the CAPSTONE mission. Below is a new update. (more…)
