NASA Concludes CAPSTONE Mission After Four Years of Lunar Operations
NASA has officially ended its involvement with the CAPSTONE mission, which validated lunar orbit technologies essential for future lunar operations. Advanced Space will maintain the spacecraft for ongoing technology development efforts.
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NASA concluded its operations with the CAPSTONE mission, which began in June 2022, focused on validating the near-rectilinear halo orbit intended for the Gateway space station. CAPSTONE, launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, entered lunar orbit in November 2022 after initial operational challenges.
The spacecraft served as a platform for testing advanced communications and autonomous navigation technologies, including delay/disruption-tolerant networking protocols. Advanced Space will continue to operate CAPSTONE, though its future without NASA support remains uncertain. The transition may impact ongoing lunar exploration projects reliant on Gateway's viability.
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