CAPSTONE aims to simulate the orbit for NASA's Gateway space station.
CAPSTONE will verify the stability of the orbit, which can be affected by mass concentrations near the moon's surface and other factors. NASA is keen to get such information before launching the the high-profile Gateway space station to a lunar NRHO later in the 2020s.
"Beyond our support of the Artemis program, part of what makes this mission compelling from from my perspective is how it is pushing forward our desire to increase the pace of space exploration," Christopher Baker, small spacecraft technology program executive at NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said during Wednesday's press conference.
Baker noted that CAPSTONE is built and managed by commercial partners; the nearly $14 million mission's project management is led by Colorado company Advanced Space. He said that involving commercial space in a lunar-class mission is"helping support not just our major human exploration program but also helping us expand the capability of small missions to reach new destinations.
within 1,000 miles of the lunar surface near the south pole at its lowest point, and as high up as 43,500 miles . The low approach to the moon will eventually allow access for astronauts to land on the surface and to return to Gateway, provided that the orbit is verified as desired. An NHRO also allows for efficient fuel usage, which is useful for a tiny cubesat, along with eclipse-free operations allowing the solar-powered Gateway to receive continual sunlight, Bradley Cheetham, Advanced Space CEO and principal investigator of CAPSTONE, said during the press conference.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA shares InSight Mars lander's final selfie | Digital TrendsThe final selfie of NASA's InSightMarslander reveals the full extent of the dust problem that's causing it to gradually lose power.
Read more »
Japan will send an astronaut to the moon with NASA, President Biden saysJapanese astronauts will ride on NASA Artemis missions to the moon, and possibly even reach the lunar surface.
Read more »
NASA is Building a Mission That Will Refuel and Repair Satellites in OrbitNASA is planning a mission to demonstrate the ability to repair and upgrade satellites in Earth orbit. The mission, called OSAM-1 (On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing-1), will send a robotic spacecraft equipped with robotic arms and all the tools and equipment needed to fix, refuel or extend satellites’ lifespans, even if those satellites were not … Continue reading 'NASA is Building a Mission That Will Refuel and Repair Satellites in Orbit'
Read more »
Potential new meteor shower is 'all or nothing event,' says NASA astronomerA shattering comet might generate a new tau Herculids shower on May 30 and 31.
Read more »
NASA captures eruption of 'Sharkcano'NASA's Earth Observatory has released satellite images of the undersea Kavachi volcano erupting in the Solomon Islands. The crater is the home of multiple fish species.
Read more »
NASA captures ‘Sharkcano’ eruption where mutant sharks swim near an underwater volcanoNASA's Earth Observatory has captured new images of the Solomon Islands' sharkcano erupting beneath the Pacific ocean.
Read more »