Engineers regain control of the spacecraft connected to the moon after 4 frightening weeks

We have some good news to kick off the weekend: the recovery team has regained control of NASA’s CAPSTONE spacecraft, which was in the midst of a four-month journey to an elliptical orbit around the moon.

The recovery team traced the problem to a partially open valve on one of CAPSTONE’s eight thrusters. according to to the advanced space Press release. The requested repair was transferred to the spacecraft yesterday and was successfully carried out this morning. The probe is still on its way to its operational orbit around the Moon.

CAPSTONE, short for Cislunar Autonomous GPS Technology Operations and Navigation Experience, I faced difficulties After his third course correction maneuver on 8 September. The 55-pound (25 kg) satellite lost full three-axis control and entered an eerie state. get bogged down. A recovery team led by Advanced Space Corporation, which owns and operates CAPSTONE on behalf of NASA, was quick to regain control of the $ 33 million cube. The propulsion and propulsion system of the probe remained in A a country that can be controlledCAPSTONE, however, could not target its solar panels to draw the full amount of energy required.

Launched On June 28, Cubesat was on a preparatory mission to NASA’s Artemis programthat fights for sustainability Back to the moon. To support the Artemis crews, NASA and its international partners are planning to build a space station called Gate, in a gravitationally stable orbit known as a nearly straight halo orbit (NRHO). No spacecraft has ever operated on the NRHO, hence the need for an exploratory mission.

As Advanced Space wrote in its press release, the partially open valve produces thrust in the associated thruster whenever the propulsion system is under pressure. To address the problem, the recovery team conducted “multiple tests on the vehicle and evaluated extensive telemetry and simulation data, then developed a plan to attempt to restore full 3-axis control of the vehicle.” This recovery sequence was loaded onto the probe on Thursday and performed this morning. Advanced Space conducts its joint operations with the teams of Terran Orbital, which designed and manufactured CAPSTONE.

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Initial results are promising, with new monitoring and telemetry data indicating a “successful system recovery,” wrote Advanced Space. The probe has regained 3-axis control and its orientation has been corrected so that the downlink antennas are now perfectly positioned to send signals to Earth. Basically, the spacecraft’s solar panels are now harvesting energy from the sun. “This is an important achievement for the mission team and sets the mission well for upcoming critical activities and for reaching the Moon,” says Advanced Space.

The company will be following the investigation closely over the next few days to make sure it’s really okay. Engineers will also evaluate potential changes to operating procedures in the event of redundancy. CAPSTONE stays on track to get into the archive Linear half-line orbit of the halo November 13 With four more trajectory correction maneuvers still needed.

Moreover: SpaceX is testing a rare Falcon Heavy launch later this month.