The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) will launch in May 2021 to demonstrate key technologies in support of lunar exploration. Led by Advanced Space, this mission is enabled by support from NASA and represents a rapid, low cost small spacecraft pathfinder for NASA’s Artemis program.
The spacecraft is about the size of a toaster oven, being built by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, and will be launched by Rocket Lab from New Zealand.
CAPSTONE is supported by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through the Small Spacecraft Technology Program and by the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate through the Advanced Exploration Systems program. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS) development has been supported by NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program.