CAPSTONE

retired

Science ExplorationLEOCOSPAR 2022-070ALaunched 6/28/2022

Admin Edit

Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: CAPSTONE Mission
Launch Vehicle: Electron
Launch Date: 6/28/2022
Last Contact: 6/30/2026

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: LEO
Altitude: 606.5 km
Inclination: 39.12 deg
Dry Mass: 20 kg
Total Mass: 25 kg

Payload Classification

Organizations

Operator: Advanced Space
Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin

Registry

COSPAR ID: 2022-070A
UN Registration: ST/SG/SER.E/1076

Mentions

183

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

Terran Orbital designed and built the CAPSTONE satellite.

CapabilityValue 4.0Feb 23, 2024Terran Orbital’s CAPSTONE Nanosatellite Surpasses 450 Days of Lunar Operations

The CAPSTONE satellite launched on 2022-06-28.

Plan

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Terran Orbital designed and built the CAPSTONE satellite using its Voyager space vehicle platform.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Feb 22, 2024Terran Orbital’s CAPSTONE smallsat exceeds expectations

The CAPSTONE satellite, based on Terran Orbital’s Voyager platform, entered lunar orbit on 2022-11-17.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 22, 2024Terran Orbital’s CAPSTONE smallsat exceeds expectations

Advanced Space operates the CAPSTONE spacecraft, the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Feb 2, 2024Advanced Space's Resilient CAPSTONE Mission for NASA Marks 445 Days of Lunar Operations

The CAPS crosslink between CAPSTONE and LRO on 2024-01-07 produced 66 minutes of tracking data and 200 crosslink measurements.

GeneralValue 4.0Feb 2, 2024Advanced Space's Resilient CAPSTONE Mission for NASA Marks 445 Days of Lunar Operations

Advanced Space can perform extended operations with CAPSTONE’s onboard hardware and flight processor after completing an enhanced mission in May 2024 due to significant fuel margin.

CapabilityPlanGeneralValue 3.7Feb 2, 2024Advanced Space's Resilient CAPSTONE Mission for NASA Marks 445 Days of Lunar Operations

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory collaborated with Advanced Space to develop the one-way uplink measurement capability for CAPSTONE.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Feb 2, 2024Advanced Space's Resilient CAPSTONE Mission for NASA Marks 445 Days of Lunar Operations

Morehead State University operates the newest affiliated node on NASA’s Deep Space Network and provided telemetry, tracking, and control services for CAPSTONE while engaging university students in deep space mission operations.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Nov 20, 2023Advanced Space’s CAPSTONE Mission Completes One Year of Operation at the Moon

Rocket Lab’s Photon Lunar spacecraft delivered the CAPSTONE satellite to lunar orbit for NASA in 2022.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.0Nov 20, 2023Rocket Lab Sets Up Space Structures Complex to Supply Advanced Composite Products

Rocket Lab’s Photon Lunar spacecraft delivered the CAPSTONE satellite to lunar orbit for NASA in 2022.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 4.0Nov 20, 2023Rocket Lab to establish space structures complex in Maryland for advanced composite products

CAPSTONE aligns with Terran Orbital’s Voyager platform specifications and produces over 100 watts of peak power.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

CAPSTONE was designed, built, and integrated by Terran Orbital and is owned by Advanced Space.

RelationshipsValue 4.0Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

The CAPSTONE program received a NASA Group Achievement Award in 2023.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 3.0Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

CAPSTONE performed 25 independent maneuvers using over 98 m per second of delta‑V.

CapabilityValue 4.2Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

The CAPSTONE program received the AIAA Small Satellite Mission of the Year Award in 2022.

GeneralValue 3.8Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

CAPSTONE established more than 350 Deep Space Network contacts, with over 70 of those contacts involving Morehead State University.

GeneralValue 3.0Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

CAPSTONE spacecraft operations in NRHO provided NASA with cost-effective data for the planned Gateway space station supporting Artemis missions.

CapabilityPlanGeneralValue 4.0Nov 17, 2023Terran Orbital Celebrates CAPSTONE Spacecraft’s One Year in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit

Spectra Group, in partnership with Inmarsat, has been selected to support Project Capstone 4 with the SlingShot satellite communications system.

RelationshipsGeneralValue 4.0Oct 8, 2023Spectra Group’s SlingShot SATCOM system selected for Project Capstone 4

Advanced Space’s CALM effort builds on the company’s experience developing low-thrust trajectories to near-rectilinear halo orbit demonstrated by the CAPSTONE program.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Aug 7, 2023NASA Selects Advanced Space for Two SBIR Phase I Awards