Apr 18, 2023 | Community, External News
We are in a new era of lunar exploration, development and settlement.
Originally posted to Space.com on 16 April 2023.
On June 28, 2022, CAPSTONE launched into space on a dedicated rocket as the first mission of the Artemis program, ushering in a new generation of lunar exploration, development and settlement. With NASA’s leadership and global involvement, we are entering a period that will define the future of space exploration: the Artemis Generation.
As the architects of CAPSTONE, our team has learned first-hand the challenges of lunar missions. From communications and propulsion anomalies to suspected radiation upsets, traveling to the moon and operating there is not an easy task. During these challenges, however, the best of the industry united and we overcame — such alignment is the key to successful long-term lunar development. (more…)
Apr 17, 2023 | CAPSTONE Mission
The CAPSTONE Mission Team has been busy continuing to operate the mission in its planned Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). Thus far, since performing the NRHO insertion maneuver on November 13th, 2022, the spacecraft has spent 154 days operating in the NRHO completing 23 NRHO revolutions. During this time, the mission team has maintained knowledge of the spacecraft state well within the mission requirements using ground-based navigation tools and tracking measurements collected by the Deep Space Network including DSS-17 which is an affiliated site at Morehead State University in Kentucky. This navigation information has continued to support the design and execution of required maneuvers to maintain the orbit. Minimum maneuver size constraints have been sequentially reduced as the combined mission operations teams at Advanced Space, Terran Orbital, and Stellar Exploration continue to mitigate issues with a thruster valve. Since entering the NRHO the spacecraft has executed six Orbit Maintenance Maneuvers (OMM) using approximately 1.8 m/s of fuel. Although the mission plan was originally to do a maneuver every NRHO (approximately once a week), the higher burn threshold has reduced the number of maneuvers performed while also demonstrating the robustness of the stationkeeping strategy utilized by the mission which is the same strategy planned for the Lunar Gateway. (more…)
Feb 8, 2023 | CAPSTONE Mission
The CAPSTONE spacecraft continues to operate at the Moon and the vehicle is happy and healthy. The mission has accomplished 4 mission objectives and is making progress on additional objectives. Two mission objectives were completed during the transfer to the Moon and both directly informed Artemis 1 secondary payloads with regard to radio and ground station performance. (more…)
Jan 26, 2023 | Papers & Presentations
Presented at the 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting 2023
MichaelR. Thompson, and Mitchell Rosen
ABSTRACT
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission is an ongoing mission to serve as a pathfinder for cislunar operations and navigation for the Lunar Gateway and the greater Artemis program. As part of nominal operations, one of the tracking dishes that CAPSTONE utilizes is DSS-17 at Morehead State University. Through a series of necessary corrections, CAPSTONE has been able to generate radiometric measurements using this dish on the same order of noise magnitude as typical DSN measurements. This paper will provide an overview of the necessary processes and early performance of DSS-17 in CAPSTONE orbit determination.
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Jan 5, 2023 | Community, Team
As we go into the new year we want to take a chance to see all the great things our team accomplished this year – it’s hard to believe it all fit into 2022! Check out our video below, along with links to all the things we highlighted this year. (more…)
Jan 5, 2023 | Community, Team
The team members at Advanced Space are the key to our success. Meet Dr. Nathan (Parrish) Ré, one of the company’s first employees who has been with the company for almost eight years.
What got you interested in AI for space?
In 2013, about a year into my PhD at CU Boulder, I had a conversation with a childhood friend who was playing with AI computer vision in his free time. I got really interested in it, so I bought a textbook and spent the next year trying to figure out how to apply AI to astrodynamics. At the time, the technology was much less user-friendly and there wasn’t much to go on. It took a few years to figure out a practical application that could also get me my degree. (more…)
Dec 27, 2022 | Machine Learning & AI, National Security
It is a privilege to work with the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). IARPA’s desire to solve hard problems aligns with Advanced Space’s values to use our technical excellence and inexhaustible curiosity to do the same. (more…)
Nov 21, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
NASA’s investment in small business boosts the economy and enables the future of space exploration.
Westminster, CO – Advanced Space LLC., a leading space tech solutions company, is the first commercial entity to own an operational satellite at the Moon. CAPSTONE, the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, has finalized its insertion into a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO). Now that history has been made, the small spacecraft is ready to begin operations for NASA in support of the Artemis program. This milestone also marks the beginning of the navigation experiment that will lay a foundation for future missions. Consistent with the company vision to enable the sustainable exploration, development, and settlement of space, Advanced Space has worked to support the Nation’s focus on returning to the Moon. CAPSTONE is tasked to understand the operational characteristics of the orbit, perform technology demonstrations to help reduce the risk for future spacecraft, and to validate innovative navigation technologies. (more…)
Nov 17, 2022 | National Security, Oracle Mission
The Oracle spacecraft program will enable U.S. Space Force to support future NASA missions
Westminster, CO – Advanced Space LLC., a leading space tech solutions company, announced that the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, as part of a collaborative effort with AFRL’s Transformational Capabilities Office, has awarded the company a $72 million contract to deliver AFRL’s Oracle spacecraft program, previously called the Cislunar Highway Patrol System, or CHPS. Oracle will demonstrate space situational awareness, object detection and tracking in the regions around the Moon. Advanced Space is the prime contractor for Oracle, and is designing the mission approach, along with advanced navigation, tracking, and communication solutions for this challenging mission. (more…)
Nov 14, 2022 | CAPSTONE Mission
First spacecraft to enter the orbit for Gateway arrives to support NASA’s Artemis program.
Westminster, CO — Advanced Space LLC., a leading space tech solutions company, announced CAPSTONE successfully completed the initial insertion maneuver into a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) on Sunday, November 13th. Two smaller correction maneuvers will take place this week to ensure the spacecraft is confirmed into the complex lunar orbit. This NRHO is an orbit around the Moon that has never been flown before, and it is the intended orbit for the Gateway space station. NASA intends to use Gateway to support Artemis missions to the lunar surface. CAPSTONE is demonstrating how to get into this orbit; in the weeks to come, CAPSTONE will demonstrate and verify orbital operations in the NRHO for NASA. CAPSTONE is reducing risk for future spacecraft. (more…)
