“The Advanced Space team is informing Gateway and future technology maturation efforts,” said Bradley Cheetham, CEO
The operations of the spacecraft are being conducted by the teams of Advanced Space and Terran Orbital in conjunction with NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN). Advanced Space is presently navigating the spacecraft – a combination of determining what trajectory the spacecraft is on and designing the maneuvers it will take to guide the spacecraft to the Moon.
“We are proud to lead CAPSTONE and the collaboration it represents with NASA and our industry partners,” said Bradley Cheetham, Advanced Space chief executive officer and CAPSTONE principal investigator. “The work of the Advanced Space team is informing Gateway and future technology maturation efforts. Our team leverages these uniquely demonstrated capabilities and lessons learned to quickly and efficiently support other programs and priorities in cislunar space and throughout the solar system,” Cheetham added.
CAPSTONE will be utilizing a highly efficient ballistic lunar transfer (BLT), which harnesses the gravity of the Sun to transfer to the Moon instead of fuel. It will take four months to reach the target orbit at the Moon, a NRHO.
“We have studied BLTs and innovative navigation technologies for over a decade. Now we are watching how these advancements have enabled a small spacecraft to push space exploration forward. It is so exciting to see all of the hard work pay off,” said Dr. Jeffrey Parker, co-founder of Advanced Space, chief technology officer. “We are ready to pave the way for NASA’s Gateway and to open new doors for future space exploration,” added Parker.
CAPSTONE™ is owned and operated by Advanced Space on behalf of NASA.
CAPSTONE Press Kit – includes details of CAPSTONE critical partners
About Advanced Space:
Advanced Space (https://advancedspace.com/) supports the sustainable 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. Learn more about what Advanced Space is creating; check out details on CAPSTONE.
SOURCE Advanced Space