CAPSTONE

Mission

CAPSTONE

• Type: Planetary Science
• Orbit: Lunar Orbit
• Launch Cost: $6,000,000

CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a 12-U cubesat mission to test operations in near rectiliniar halo orbit around the Moon, which is to be used for the Lunar Gateway space station. Mission will verify the near rectilinear halo orbit characteristics, spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation services in that orbit, and provide valuable experience of small sat launch to the Moon.

Location

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B has witnessed the launch of 26 rockets, including 26 orbital launch attempts. While Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, has been the site for 54 rocket launches.

Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 is a commercial spaceport located close to Ahuriri Point at the southern tip of Māhia Peninsula, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is owned and operated by private spaceflight company Rocket Lab and supports launches of the company's Electron rocket for small satellites. With the launch of Electron on 25 May 2017, it became the first private spaceport to host an orbital launch attempt, and the first site in New Zealand to host an orbital launch attempt. With the Electron launch of 21 January 2018, it became the first private spaceport to host a successful orbital launch.

Rocket

Rocket Lab Electron

Electron is a two-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle (with an optional third stage) developed by the American aerospace company Rocket Lab. Electron is a small-lift launch vehicle designed to launch small satellites and cubesats to sun-synchronous orbit and low earth orbit. The Electron is the first orbital class rocket to use electric-pump-fed engines, powered by the 9 Rutherford engines on the first stage. It is also used as a suborbital testbed (called HASTE) for hypersonics research.

Learn more about the Electron

Core 27

Booster expended during its first flight. Booster 27 last launched 06/28/2022 and has seen 0 successful launches and landings. Booster used during the NASA Capstone mission.

Booster features the NASA Worm logo and was flown without onboard cameras to save weight.

South Pacific - PAC

Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand.

Expended - EXP

Vehicle did not perform any landing operations after launch

Agency

Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an American aerospace manufacturer with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. The company develops lightweight, cost-effective commercial rocket launch services. The Electron Program was founded on the premise that small payloads such as CubeSats require dedicated small launch vehicles and flexibility not currently offered by traditional rocket systems. Its rocket, the Electron, is a light-weight rocket and is now operating commercially. The company is also producing a variety of spacecrafts and spacecrafts components.