NASA has selected Advanced Space to lead a follow-on mission related to CAPSTONE, the small spacecraft project that helped demonstrate operations in cislunar space. The new effort is aimed at testing rendezvous and proximity operations around the moon, a capability seen as increasingly important for future lunar missions.
According to the announcement, the successor mission will use a smallsat approach in the region between Earth and the moon. By focusing on close-range spacecraft operations in lunar space, NASA appears to be building on lessons from CAPSTONE while advancing technologies needed for more complex activity beyond low Earth orbit.
The award continues Advanced Space’s work in cislunar mission operations and highlights NASA’s interest in lower-cost, targeted demonstrations that can reduce risk for later programs. Rendezvous and proximity operations are key building blocks for servicing, docking and other coordinated maneuvers that may be required near the moon.
While only limited details were released in the initial announcement, the selection signals that NASA is pushing ahead with practical tests in lunar orbit. A successor to CAPSTONE centered on spacecraft maneuvering near the moon fits into the agency’s broader effort to expand reliable operations in cislunar space.
