- Advanced Space will lead NASA’s CAPSTONE 02 lunar navigation and communications mission
- The 2027 mission will use two Terran Orbital-built spacecraft to test autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations
- The spacecraft will use ground data, optical sensors and celestial references to navigate around the Moon
NASA has awarded Advanced Space a contract for its Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, 02 mission, the agency said Friday.
What Will CAPSTONE 02 Demonstrate?
Targeted for launch in 2027, CAPSTONE 02 will utilize two identical spacecraft, developed by Terran Orbital Systems, to showcase autonomous navigation, rendezvous and proximity operations and cislunar communications for future Artemis and lunar infrastructure missions. The CAPSTONE 02 spacecraft, each weighing about 400 kilograms, will also continue to assess radiation conditions around the Moon.
NASA’s work on autonomous navigation and cislunar operations reflects the broader space technology priorities that will be discussed at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit, happening in just a few days on July 30. Save your seat now!
The space vehicles will rely on ground tracking data, optical sensors and celestial bodies so one craft can locate and rendezvous with the other. Each one will be able to play the role of “chaser” and “target” to test different operational scenarios.
How Will the Mission Support Future Lunar Exploration?
CAPSTONE 02 will test three NASA-developed navigation software suites and further develop the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System navigation software initially demonstrated on the first CAPSTONE mission. The mission will also carry an optical imaging payload from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to support navigation testing and capture lunar imagery.
NASA said the demonstrations will help assess navigation techniques intended to support future spacecraft operations in cislunar space, including approaches similar to those planned for Orion’s rendezvous with a lunar lander.
