NASA recently launched CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat weighing just 55 pounds (25 kg) from New Zealand.
CAPSTONE, short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, is designed to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit.
The satellite is heading toward an orbit intended in the future for Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that is part of NASA’s Artemis program.
The orbit is known as a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO).
What is NRHO?
It is significantly elongated, and is located at a precise balance point in the gravities of Earth and the Moon.
This offers stability for long-term missions like Gateway.
For Artemis, NASA’s program to send astronauts back to the moon, NASA decided to include Gateway, a small space station around the moon. That would make it easier for astronauts to reach more parts of the moon.
Halo orbits are those influenced by the gravity of two bodies — in this case, the Earth and the moon.
The influence of the two bodies helps make the orbit highly stable, minimizing the amount of propellant needed to keep a spacecraft circling the moon.
The gravitational interactions also keep the orbit at about a 90-degree angle to the line-of-sight view from Earth.
Thus, a spacecraft in this orbit never passes behind the moon, where communications would be cut off.
HALO orbit is a Fuel-efficient odds revolving around Earth-Moon neutral-gravity points. Its orbit period is 1-2 weeks.
From NRHO, it is easy to access from Earth orbit with many current launch vehicles, staging point for both lunar surface and deep space destinations .
It is a favorable vantage point for Earth, sun and deep space observations.
The NRHO provides continuous view of Earth and communication relay for lunar farside.
The deep space environment is useful for radiation testing and experiments in preparation for missions to the lunar surface and Mars.
It supports surface telerobotics, including lunar farside; provides a staging point for planetary sample return missions.
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