NASAs job isnt just about making scientific discoveries. It also includes developing new technologies, figuring out how to communicate across vast distances in space, and keeping an eye on our own planet. The money NASA puts into things like space robots, systems that can think for themselves, and long-distance space communication has led to important tools for everyday people and for national defense, showing just how valuable NASA is.

In this article, we will learn about the CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) mission which will explore more about Moon (Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit - NRHO), capturing vital data that will support future exploration, human habitation, or satellite operations.

• NASA’s CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) lifted off on June 28, 2022, embarking on a critical journey beyond Earth.  
• Engineers and scientists have collaborated extensively to meet the missions key objective, which is to Test NRHO stability for Gateway; demonstrate navigation technologies, requiring innovative technological solutions.  
• This Lunar orbiter technology demonstration (CubeSat) served as a key test for new technologies and different ways of operating.  
• The success of the entire mission depended on the Electron working without any problems and providing enough power. 
• The launch of the mission happened at Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand, LC-1B. 
• The entire mission took Over 18 months in NRHO (planned) to complete. 
• The mission was organized and implemented by NASA. 
• Overall, the mission was Operational, meeting most of its objectives. 
• With a budget of ~$30 million, NASA launched CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) to advance scientific understanding and explore new frontiers. 

NASA’s CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) includes Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS), S-band radio, designed to improve navigation, data collection, and environmental monitoring.

To achieve autonomy objectives, CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) integrated CubeSat in NRHO, autonomous spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation with LRO, advancing NASA’s capabilities in onboard processing and intelligent control systems. In this article, lets understand more about Objectives, Key Technologies Used and Commercial Involvement Faced in NASAs CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) which is useful in UPSC Prelims & UPSC Mains Papers.

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NASA CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) Space Mission Overview 

Also, Checkout Sunita Williams’ Missions to the International Space Station

CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) Space Mission Global Contributions

• Key contributors such as Advanced Space (owned/operated), Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (bus), Rocket Lab (launch) provided essential technologies and services that helped accelerate the mission timeline. 
• The use of Technology demonstration data to be shared within NASA and partners encouraged collaborative validation of autonomous technologies and mission outcomes. 
• Through CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment), NASA achieved Pathfinder for Artemis Gateway lunar orbiting station, helping establish international precedent for data access, planetary defense, and cooperative science. 

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Challenges & Risk in CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) Space Mission

Despite facing technical difficulties like Communication anomaly after spacecraft separation from Photon, the mission team implemented timely corrective actions that ensured CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) stayed aligned with its core scientific and operational goals.

• Communication issues post-separation; successful orbit insertion was one of the significant issues faced during CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment), requiring coordinated mitigation efforts. 

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Mission Timeline of CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) NASA Space Mission

• Late 2010s marks the date when the mission was first approved for consideration. 
• On November 13, 2022 (NRHO insertion), the spacecraft reached its designated target, transmitting valuable data back to Earth. 
• On Approximately 6 months after NRHO insertion for primary tech demo, mission control confirmed that all key milestones were achieved, closing the primary phase of the mission. 

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UPSC Relevance of CAPSTONE Mission (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment)

• The Prelims syllabus integrates recent breakthroughs from NASA missions, emphasizing their impact on global scientific progress.
• NASA’s contributions to global space policy and governance can be discussed under international relations in GS Paper 2.
• UPSC CSE GS Paper 4 (Ethics) may include questions around how organizations like NASA prioritize scientific advancement for public good over commercial interests, offering a lens to evaluate ethical service orientation.
• In the UPSC CSE Optional Papers, topics from NASA Space Missions are highly relevant across disciplines, offering insights into global cooperation, technological ethics, and environmental impacts—useful for Geography, PSIR, and Philosophy optionals alike.

Also, Learn about International Space Station (ISS)

Past UPCS Mains PYQs on NASA Space Missions

Q1. Launched on 25th December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor space telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race? (2022, GS Paper 3) 

Q2. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth? (2017, GS Paper 1)

Q3. The safe landing of the ‘Curiosity’ Rover under NASA’s space programme has sparked many possibilities. What are those and how could humankind benefit from them? (2012, GS Paper 2)

Past UPCS Prelims PYQs on NASA Space Missions

Q1 [2022]: Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in the media?

(a) A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.

(b) A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.

(c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

(d) A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.

Answer: (c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

Explanation: While this question pertains to a military concept, NASAs research into orbital mechanics and space trajectories contributes to the broader understanding of such technologies.

Q2 [2020]: “The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft.” The experiment in question refers to:

(a) Voyager-2

(b) New Horizons

(c) Lisa Pathfinder

(d) Evolved LISA

Answer: (d) Evolved LISA

Explanation: Evolved LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) is a space-based gravitational wave observatory developed by ESA with contributions from NASA.

Q3 [2017]: What is the purpose of ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project?

(a) To detect neutrinos

(b) To detect gravitational waves

(c) To detect the effectiveness of missile defence system

(d) To study the effect of solar flares on our communication systems

Answer: (b) To detect gravitational waves

Explanation: Evolved Laser Space Interferometer Space Antenna (ELISA) project was widely in the news due to the discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO detector and the subsequent success of the LISA pathfinder project. The European Space Agency is leading the ELISA mission. The project is initiated to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves.

Q4 [2016]: What is ‘Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10)’, recently in the news?

(a) Electric plane tested by NASA

(b) Solar-powered two-seater aircraft designed by Japan

(c) Space observatory launched by China

(d) Reusable rocket designed by ISRO

Answer: (a) Electric plane tested by NASA
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Explanation: GL-10 is a remotely piloted plane similar to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). It is designed and developed in such a way that it can take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane. It is a battery-powered 10-engine with a wingspan of 3.05 meters. Eight electric motors are mounted on the wings. 2 electric motors are mounted on the tail. It weighs a maximum of 28.1 kilograms at takeoff. Due to its versatile vertical takeoff and landing ability, it produces less noise. It can be used as a UAV for small package delivery or vertical takeoff and landing, as well as long-endurance surveillance for agriculture, mapping, and other applications. Its modified scaled-up version can be used as a persons air vehicle.

Q5 [2015]: The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in the context of:

(a) The limits of habitable zone above the surface of the Earth

(b) Regions inside the Earth where shale gas is available

(c) Search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

(d) Search for meteorites containing precious metals

Answer: (c) Search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

Explanation: The Goldilocks Zone is the livable zone around a star where the temperature is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on a planet. It is a metaphor for the childrens story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which a young girl selects from sets of three objects, eschewing the extremes (such as those that are enormous or small, hot or cold) and fixing on the one that is just right in the middle. The Goldilocks zone of the Sun surrounds the Earth. All of Earths water would freeze if it were found where the dwarf planet Pluto is; however, all of Earths water would boil out if it were found where Mercury is.

Also, Get to Know What was NASA's Parker Solar Probe Mission

UPSC Practice Questions on NASA Space Missions

Q1. Consider the following statements with reference to the Inspiration4 mission:
1. It is a mission by NASA to take civilians into the space.
2. Inspiration4 will orbit the Earth at a level higher than the International Space Station.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: 2 only
Solution:
Statement 1 is incorrect: SpaceX announced that Inspiration4 mission is ready for launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in the USA.
It is the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit and involves taking a group of four private citizens to circle the Earth for three days, and then splashing down into the Atlantic Ocean.
Statement 2 is correct: Inspiration4 will orbit the Earth at 575km, higher than the International Space Station at 408km and the Hubble space telescope at 547km.
This will be the farthest distance travelled by a crewed mission since 2009, when astronauts last went to repair the Hubble.

Q2. Which space company has been selected by NASA to deliver cargo, experiments and other supplies to the agency's Gateway in lunar orbit?
1. Dragon-XL
2. Blue origin
3. Astra space
4. Space X

Answer: Space X
Solution:
NASA has selected SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, as the first U.S. commercial provider under the Gateway Logistics Services contract to deliver cargo, science experiments, and other supplies to the agency's Gateway in lunar orbit.
The award is a significant step forward for NASA's Artemis program that will land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024 and build a sustainable human lunar presence.
At the Moon, NASA and its partners will gain the experience necessary to mount a historic human mission to Mars.

Q3. The term Project Kuiper is often seen in the news in the context of:
1. A Space project by NASA to study Kuiper Belt objects.
2. It is an initiative to provide broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.
3. A study by IIT Bombay on a space object in the area of energy conservation.
4. A manned mission by SpaceX to the biggest object in the Kuiper Belt.

Answer: It is an initiative to provide broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.
Solution:
It is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.
KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 are the first two satellites under this project, which will be used to test the communications and network technology.

Q4. Which of the following is the name of the NASA programme to land first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024?
1. Orion
2. Apollo
3. Artemis
4. Nike

Answer: Artemis
Solution:
Artemis is an ongoing space mission run by NASA with the goal of landing the first female astronaut and next male astronaut on the Moon's South Pole by 2024.
It is the US space agency's first crewed Moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
NASA is working on the Artemis program that aims to land humans on the moon by 2024.
It has put forward a plan showing what a US lunar presence may look like after the milestone.
NASA submitted a 13-page report to the National Space Council.
The report titled NASA's Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development offers a summary of what NASA will accomplish in the 2024 moon landing mission.
NASA's VIPER would land near the western edge of the Nobile Crater at the Moon's South Pole, one of the coldest areas in the solar system. VIPER stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.
The robotic rover would be delivered to the Moon's surface in late 2023 under the Artemis program and part of the NASA agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

Q5. To study which one of the following was a spacecraft launched that would be farthest from the Sun and would run exclusively on solar power?
1. Jupiter's Trojan asteroids
2. Saturn's rings and moons
3. Mars' atmosphere
4. Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud

Answer: Jupiter's Trojan asteroids
Solution:
Lucy is NASA's newly launched spacecraft, the US space agency's first-ever mission to explore distant asteroids and seek out the origin of our solar system.
Lucy is the first space mission to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids and would run exclusively on solar power. Hence option 1 is correct.
The swarms of Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter are thought to be remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets.
The Trojans orbit the Sun in two loose groups, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, and the other trailing behind.
In history, no other space mission has been launched to as many different destinations in independent orbit around our sun.
Lucy will show us, for the first time, the diversity of the primordial bodies that built the planets.

Q6. Where will NASA send its next-generation atomic clock in 2019?
1. Mars
2. Moon
3. North Pole
4. Space

Answer: Space
Solution:
NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock Mission -
For more than two years, NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock has been pushing the timekeeping frontiers in space, hence the correct answer is option 4.

Q7. NASA's rover Perseverance to begin dropping samples of rock on the surface of the Planet
1. Roscosmos, Jupiter
2. ISRO, Mars
3. NASA, Mars
4. JAXA, Earth

Answer: NASA, Mars
Solution:
NASA's Mars rover Perseverance to begin dropping samples of rock on the surface of the Red Planet Mars.
The materials have been packaged in small titanium tubes with the expectation they can be picked up by a future mission and brought home.
It is a major milestone in the effort to find out whether there is life on Mars.
Perseverance will place 10 cylinders on the ground at its exploration site in Jezero Crater.
They contain a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that the robot has drilled over the past 15 months.
The location for the drop is a flat piece of terrain that’s been nicknamed Three Forks.

Q8. Artemis III is a mission of which among the following space agencies?
1. CNSA
2. ISRO
3. ESA
4. NASA

Answer: NASA
Solution:
Artemis III is a mission under NASA's Artemis program, aiming to land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
The mission is planned to land on the lunar South Pole region by 2025.
It aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, paving the way for future missions to Mars.
The Artemis program is named after the Greek goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo, the namesake of the original Moon missions.

Q9. Consider the following statements regarding Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols Mission MAIA:
1. It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency.
2. It aims to investigate the health impact of air pollution.
3. The duration of the mission is three years.
Which of the above statements are correct?
1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: 1, 2 and 3
Solution:
The Indian Express: Recently, NASA announced that it is partnering with the Italian Space Agency ASI to build and launch the MAIA mission.
It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency ASI. Hence statement 1 is correct.
This will investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world’s most populated cities. Hence statement 2 is correct.
Its primary goal is to benefit societal health. Epidemiologists and public health researchers will be directly working on the development of a satellite mission.
It will consist of the PLATiNO-2 satellite, which will be provided by ASI, and a science instrument that will be built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The MAIA mission will collect and analyze data from the observatory, sensors on the ground, and atmospheric models.
The JPL hosts a pointable spectropolarimetric camera that captures images from multiple angles in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
During the course of the three-year mission. Hence statement 3 is correct.
MAIA will focus on 11 primary target areas that include major urban centres across the world: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Rome, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Barcelona, Spain, Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Taipei, Taiwan; and Tel Aviv.
The MAIA observatory is set to launch before the end of 2024.

Q10. The PSLV C34 rocket was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota to put 22 satellites into orbit. This has happened for the first time in the history of _______.
1. NASA
2. Roskasmas
3. ISRO
4. CSA

Answer: ISRO
Solution:
Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO:
Establishment Year: 1969
Headquarters: Bengaluru, India
ISRO is the space agency of India, responsible for the nation's space research and exploration efforts. It has successfully launched various satellites for communication, remote sensing, and navigation, and has also undertaken lunar and Mars missions, such as the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan respectively.

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