NASA's CAPSTONE satellite faces communication issues; teams working to establish contact

NASA's CAPSTONE satellite, which is currently on a solo journey to the Moon, is facing communications issues while in contact with the Deep Space Network. According to CNBC's Michael Sheetz, NASA revealed in an update that it is working to determine the cause and is trying to re-establish contact with the spacecraft.

"The team has good trajectory data for the spacecraft based on the first full and second partial ground stations pass with the Deep Space Network", NASA said in its statement. "If needed, the mission has enough fuel to delay the initial post separation trajectory correction maneuver for several days. Additional updates will be provided soon." Notably, this might extend the duration of CAPSTONE's journey, which is originally planned to end on November 13.

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment's (CAPSTONE) commissioning began on July 4, when it escaped the Earth's orbit and began its solo journey toward the Moon. The CubeSat, which weighs around 25 kg, used Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft for a ballistic lunar transfer and went around 1.3 million kilometres away from the Earth.

CAPSTONE mission to test a unique orbit around the Moon

The mission was launched using Rocket Lab's Electron rocket on June 28 from New Zealand to test the Non-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO), which is a gravitationally stable spot around the Moon. A first-of-its-kind, this mission is meant to verify the NRHO for the Lunar Gateway, which is to be installed in the same orbit to support NASA's Artemis program and ultimately the next Moon landing. 

NASA would also test a navigation system, developed by Advanced Space, that will measure its absolute position in orbit through interaction with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) without relying on ground stations. Earlier on Tuesday, Rocket Lab, which is one of the partners of NASA in this mission, announced that its job is now done and the CubeSat will now be managed by Advanced Space, another mission partner.