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CAPSTONE 02

Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment

Future Mission

NASA’s CAPSTONE 02 mission will demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations, autonomous navigation, and cislunar communication capabilities while continuing to characterize the radiation environment at the Moon. Short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, CAPSTONE 02 will use two small spacecraft in lunar orbit to facilitate these demonstrations that will support NASA’s Moon Base, humanity’s first outpost on the lunar surface.

Mission Type

Small Spacecraft

Led BY

Small Spacecraft & Distributed Systems

Status

In Development

Destination

Lunar Orbit

NASA Announces New Spacecraft Technology Demonstration Mission at Moon    

NASA is working with industry to advance the next phase of cislunar infrastructure for the agency’s Artemis program and Moon Base, including orbital assets and demonstrations. Under a contract awarded to Advanced Space, the agency’s CAPSTONE 02 mission will demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations, autonomous navigation, and cislunar communication capabilities while continuing to characterize the radiation environment at the Moon.

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Artist rendition of two Capstone 2 in space above the Moon.
An artist’s rendering of NASA’s CAPSTONE 02 spacecraft in lunar orbit. The mission features two identical small spacecraft that will further mature technologies to support Artemis, Moon Base, and deep space exploration.
Terran Orbital

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CAPSTONE near the moon.

CAPSTONE 01

CAPSTONE, a 12U CubeSat, is the first spacecraft to operate in a near rectilinear halo orbit around the Moon. The mission validated communications, networking, and autonomous navigation capabilities, including using peer-to-peer ranging with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. 

Moon Base

The Moon Base is humanity’s first lunar outpost, a place where astronauts will live, work, and explore near the Moon’s South Pole.

Edison of Demonstration of Small Sat Networks_CubeSats

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