The nanosatellite, which acts as a scout for the Artemis program, ended up reaching the Moon, not without difficulty. Its objective: to test a special orbit, planned for the lunar space station.
Not without difficulty, Capstone ended up arriving at its destination, confirmed NASA on November 14, 2022. The American Capstone nanosatellite has finally reached the Moon for a short but essential mission: to test a special orbit around the Earth satellite, which will later be used for the future lunar station. Capstone insertion on the orbit has taken place November 13after a journey of more than four months in space.
Capstone, whose name means ” Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment “, holds the role of precursor for the Artemis program – whose goal is to return astronauts to the Moon during the 2020 decade. To make the junction between the Earth and the Moon, a space station like the ISS is ideal.
In this context, a very promising orbit has been retained: it is a quasi-rectilinear orbit with a very eccentric halo. Its shape is particular, so much so that one has the impression of seeing a kind of “necklace” suspended from the neck of the Moon. It is in any case true for certain visuals. In reality, the trajectory of Capstone and the station will be much more complex.
This configuration offers several advantages to reduce the complexity of the Artemis mission: it permanently maintains a direct view with the Earth for communications; it requires little energy to keep the station in place; it facilitates access to the lunar surface, in various places; and it can be used for missions beyond the Moon.
A difficult journey for Capstone
Capstone’s journey was not without its difficulties. If the American space agency’s progress report at the end of October was positive, signaling the success of a trajectory correction, to prepare for the correct insertion of the nanosatellite, the situation in recent weeks has been delicate. In particular, the behavior of the machine was not always nominal.
NASA recalled it during its stage point, with a vehicle that ended up in a “safety mode” because of a problem that occurred at the beginning of September. This concern caused the spacecraft to spin. In question, according to the agency’s investigations? A failing valve in one of the spacecraft’s eight thrusters.
Capstone, who performed a final maneuver November 13 to place in this nearly rectilinear halo orbit, must run at least six months around the Moon. At the same time, NASA wants to launch the Artemis 1 mission, the first stage of its program. Here, it’s about getting your super-rocket off the ground, circling the moon, then returning. The mission is uninhabited. It’s a kind of dress rehearsal before the flight with astronauts
