The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said the satellite
What is known
CAPSTONE is a spacecraft thatis used to test the technology of the US manned station Gateway, which will be built in lunar orbit. On November 14 at 02:38 (EET), the satellite fired its engines and performed its first orbital maneuver.
The key task of CAPSTONE is to checkthe possibility of servicing the future station in lunar orbit. This week, the spacecraft is due to perform two more maneuvers to improve its orbit, after which experts from the federal agency will be able to analyze the data and determine the correctness of the satellite's movement.
CAPSTONE launched into space on June 28, 2022along with an Electron rocket that launched from the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. During this time, NASA lost connection with the satellite several times, but each time the connection was restored.
As for the Gateway, the construction of the lunarthe orbital station will begin in November 2024. It is needed to support the missions of the Artemis program to return people to the moon. The launch of the Artemis I mission is scheduled for November 16th.