CAPSTONE suffers glitch en route to lunar orbit

Image courtesy of NASA

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) small satellite has suffered an "anomaly" after completing a course correction maneuver while en route to its planned lunar orbit. This anomaly caused the satellite to go into safe mode though the ground team remains in contact with the satellite. Both Advanced Space and Terran Orbital are currently working to resolve the issue.

Update 9/12/22: Advanced Space has released an update confirming the anomaly occured after or near the completion of a course correction and that CAPSTONE is projected to remain on course to its intended lunar orbit. Regardless, the ground team is attempting recovery with the help of NASA's Deep Space Network. 

Currently, efforts are focused on an improving the thermal situation around CAPSTONE's engines and other subsystems in order to maneuver the satellite back on course. This will be done by utilizing power generated by CAPSTONE's solar panels which have remained functional throughout the satellite's impromptu shutdown.

Update 9/15/22: Advance Space has improved communications with CAPSTONE and confirmed that the satellite possesses sufficient power to raise the temperature around the satellite's engines back to optimal levels. CAPSTONE remains on course to its projected orbit.

Update 9/21/22: Advanced Space has successfully improved thermal conditions around CAPSTONE's propellant and other critical subsystems necessary for maneuvering the satellite back on course. Tests and preparations to perform said maneuver are underway.

Update 10/7/22: Advanced Space successfully uploaded a recovery plan to CAPSTONE that allowed the ground team to regain control over the satellite. The satellite's solar panels are now orientated towards the sun and the antennas are in a position optimized for data transmission.

The fault that caused CAPSTONE to go into safe mode is hypothesized to be the result of a partially open valve on one of the satellite's eight thrusters causing the associated thruster to vent thrust whenever it was pressurized. Solutions for this problem are currently in development.