NASA’s CAPSTONE 02 mission to demonstrate lunar navigation technologies in 2027

NASA has announced the CAPSTONE 02 mission, a technology demonstration that will send two small spacecraft into lunar orbit to test advanced navigation and communication capabilities. The mission, awarded to Advanced Space under a NASA contract, is targeted for launch in 2027 and aims to support the agency's Artemis program and future Moon Base efforts.

The mission will involve two identical spacecraft, each weighing about 400 kilograms (882 pounds), built by Terran Orbital Systems. These spacecraft will perform rendezvous and proximity operations, autonomous navigation, and cislunar communication demonstrations. They will also continue to characterize the radiation environment at the Moon. The spacecraft can switch between 'chaser' and 'target' roles, allowing for a wide range of operational tests under different conditions.

This mission matters because it builds on the original CAPSTONE mission, which was the first U.S. commercial mission to the Moon and the first to operate in a near rectilinear halo orbit. The original mission validated communications, networking, and autonomous navigation. CAPSTONE 02 will transition from orbit validation to active demonstrations that will inform future lunar exploration and infrastructure development, particularly for crewed missions that require safe docking with lunar landers.

Specific technologies to be tested include three NASA-developed navigation software suites, an optical imaging payload from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System navigation software first demonstrated on CAPSTONE. The mission will use ground tracking, optical sensors, and celestial bodies for navigation, applying strategies similar to those planned for Orion's approach to a lunar lander.

The mission is funded by NASA's Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate with support from the Research and Technology Mission Directorate, and is managed by Small Spacecraft & Distributed Systems at NASA's Ames Research Center. It was awarded through a Small Business Innovation Research Phase III contract. By automating routine navigation tasks and reducing reliance on Earth-based tracking, CAPSTONE 02 aims to enable new mission concepts and lay the foundation for lunar infrastructure and commercial services supporting Artemis, Moon Base, and deep space exploration.