Advanced Space Passes Preparatory Test for Pathfinder Mission to the Moon

Advanced Space LLC., a leading commercial space
solutions company, is overseeing the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System
Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, a NASA-supported
mission to orbit the Moon. CAPSTONE is a small satellite, or CubeSat, that will be the
first spacecraft to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit that will support NASA’s Moon
missions under Artemis.

Advanced Space is preparing for CAPSTONE’s launch by performing several Operations
Readiness Tests (ORTs) that function as real-time mission simulations. The second ORT
was successfully completed last week and demonstrated the unique capabilities of
Advance Space to operate the mission as it targets its Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit
(NRHO), an important and innovative lunar orbit planned for NASA’s Gateway lunar
orbiting outpost. These ORTs simulate critical launch and flight maneuvers as well as
allow for practice of various operational scenarios in the weeks leading up to launch. The
navigation and maneuver design for the spacecraft after it separates from the launch
vehicle will demonstrate the capabilities of the team at Advanced Space.

“This comprehensive readiness test illustrates the capabilities of our team to focus on
mission execution in challenging environments and reinforces that our launch date is
quickly approaching for this groundbreaking mission,” said Advanced Space CEO Bradley
Cheetham. “We are proud of this mission and grateful to NASA for its support. This
mission really showcases the benefits of collaboration between NASA and industry.”

Advanced Space has prior experience with trajectory analysis and mission design which
positions them for the collaborative effort of this mission. In partnership with NASA and
other commercial partners, CAPSTONE is expected to be the first CubeSat to fly in
cislunar space as well as the first spacecraft to operate in an NRHO at the Moon, where
it will follow a path around the Earth that closely matches the Moon’s orbit and provide an
unobstructed view of the Earth. The constant view of Earth from the NRHO makes it an
ideal orbit for NASA’s lunar Gateway – an outpost that is part of the Artemis missions that
will establish a long-term presence at the Moon and land the first woman and the first
person of color on the lunar surface. Operations in this challenging orbit have not been
previously executed. The benefits of a rapid demonstration that acts as a pathfinder for
Gateway and other Artemis missions led to this collaborative effort between NASA and
commercial partners led by Advanced Space. In September 2019, NASA issued a press
release describing the benefits of the CAPSTONE mission approach.

There are several key milestones planned to continue the preparation work of the mission.
Among them are a full operations systems evaluation through another round of tests and
a trajectory correction maneuver (TCM) real-time simulation of initial acquisition.

Advanced Space of Colorado owns the satellite and is responsible for mission operations.
CAPSTONE’s development is supported by NASA’s Space Technology Mission
Directorate via the Small Spacecraft Technology Program at NASA’s Ames Research
Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Advanced Exploration Systems within NASA’s
Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate supports the launch and mission
operations. NASA’s Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is
responsible for launch management. The mission will launch on an Electron launch
vehicle of Rocket Lab of Long Beach, California.

About Advanced Space

Advanced Space (https://advancedspace.com/) supports the
exploration, development, and settlement of space through
software and services that leverage unique subject matter
expertise to improve the fundamentals of spaceflight.
Advanced Space is dedicated to improving flight dynamics
technology development and expedited turn-key missions to
the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

To learn more about what Advanced Space is creating, check
out details on the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System
Technology Operations Navigation Experiment mission page.