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Mission record

CAPSTONE

Also known as Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment

National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Launched

Explore trajectory

Active · Active

A 25 kg spacecraft sent to fly and prove the near-rectilinear halo orbit intended for a future crewed lunar outpost.

Destinations
Moon
Launch vehicle
Electron
Launch site
Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Countries
United States
Mission types
Orbiter, Technology demonstrator

Chronology

Mission timeline

  1. Launch

    CAPSTONE launched on a Rocket Lab Electron from Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

  2. Departure

    CAPSTONE was released from the Lunar Photon upper stage onto its own trajectory

  3. Milestone

    A partially open thruster valve set the spacecraft tumbling and it entered safe mode

  4. Orbit insertion

    CAPSTONE inserted itself into the near-rectilinear halo orbit

    Moon

Mission architecture

Vehicles

  • CAPSTONE · Orbiter

    Destinations: Moon

Trajectory record

Trajectory dataset not yet available

No verified trajectory dataset is committed for this mission, so Mission Atlas renders no path.

Provenance

Sources

Each source is listed once and labeled with the mission, event, trajectory, or destination/body context it supports.

Data verified through August 27, 2026