Mission Summary
CAPSTONE 02 is a NASA technology-demonstration mission built to mature the guidance and navigation techniques that future lunar spacecraft, including elements of the Artemis Gateway, will depend on. It will fly two identical small satellites into the region around the Moon to practice operating together with little help from ground controllers.
Announced by NASA on July 24, 2026 under a contract with Advanced Space, the mission follows the original CAPSTONE, which in 2022 verified the near-rectilinear halo orbit planned for Gateway. The two spacecraft will demonstrate rendezvous and proximity operations, autonomous navigation, and communications relay in cislunar space, and will continue to measure the lunar radiation environment. Launch is targeted for no earlier than 2027.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
