Terran Orbital Ships CAPSTONE Satellite to New Zealand to Prepare for Integration Into Rocket Lab Launch Vehicle
May 10 2022 - 6:00AM
Business Wire
Designed and built by Terran Orbital, CAPSTONE
will support NASA’s Artemis program in reducing the risk for future
Lunar bound spacecraft while propelling space exploration for all
humankind
Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), a global leader in
satellite solutions, primarily serving the United States aerospace
and defense industry, today announced it has shipped its CAPSTONE
satellite to a launch site on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand.
CAPSTONE will launch on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket using a Lunar
Photon satellite upper stage to send the spacecraft on its planned
lunar transfer trajectory. This historic pathfinding mission
supports NASA’s Artemis program which includes landing the first
woman and first person of color on the Moon.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510005622/en/
Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System
Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (Photo: Terran
Orbital Corporation)
Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a Terran Orbital Corporation,
built the spacecraft for the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System
Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, otherwise known as
CAPSTONE. The 12U CubeSat includes a radio tower on top that
extends its size from a traditional 12U form factor. CAPSTONE will
not go directly to the Moon but instead, follow a “ballistic lunar
transfer” that will take it out as far as 1.5 million kilometers
before returning into lunar orbit. That transfer, which will take
about four months to complete, is designed to save propellant,
making the mission feasible for such a small spacecraft. The
CAPSTONE payload and its software are owned and operated by
Advanced Space for NASA.
“Terran Orbital is thrilled to have designed, built, and now
shipped the CAPSTONE spacecraft,” said Terran Orbital Co-Founder,
Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer Marc Bell. “The technological
and social implications of the Artemis program are groundbreaking.
We are delighted to contribute the spacecraft to such a monumental
mission and look forward to continuing our partnerships with NASA,
Rocket Lab, and Advanced Space.”
“The CAPSTONE mission is a truly monumental moment for small
spacecraft exploration,” said Rocket Lab Founder and Chief
Executive Officer Peter Beck. “Only a short number of years ago, it
wouldn’t have been feasible to conduct a dedicated launch for a
CubeSat to lunar orbit. Thanks to the Electron launch vehicle and
Photon spacecraft, we’re bringing the Moon within reach for
smallsats. We could not be more excited to partner with the teams
at Advanced Space, Terran Orbital, and NASA to make this historic
mission possible and pave the way for the Artemis program.”
"Getting to this point has been an exhilarating 2.5 years,” said
Advanced Space Chief Executive Officer Bradley Cheetham. “We are
proud of what this combined industry and government team has
accomplished. Through this process, we have already learned a
tremendous amount. As we get closer to launch, we are reminded that
CAPSTONE is just the beginning of laying the groundwork for the
sustainable exploration and development of the Moon."
"CAPSTONE is a great example of how NASA and industry working
together makes ambitious exploration possible," said NASA Space
Technology Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Jim Reuter.
"It's incredibly exciting to see this trailblazing small satellite
start its journey to the Moon."
As a pathfinder for Gateway, a Moon-orbiting outpost that is
part of NASA’s Artemis program, CAPSTONE will help reduce the risk
for future spacecraft by validating innovative navigation
technologies and verifying the dynamics of the Near Rectilinear
Halo Orbit (NRHO). Its location at a precise balance point in the
gravities of the Earth and the Moon offers stability for long-term
missions like Gateway and requires minimal energy to maintain.
CAPSTONE’s orbit also establishes a location that is an ideal
staging area for missions to the Moon and beyond.
About Terran Orbital
Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of small satellites
primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry.
Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining
satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations,
and in-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding
military, civil, and commercial customers. In addition, Terran
Orbital is developing one of the world's largest, most advanced
NextGen Earth Observation constellations to provide persistent,
real-time earth imagery. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220510005622/en/
Virginia Norder pr@terranorbital.com 949-508-6404
Terran Orbital (NYSE:LLAP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Terran Orbital (NYSE:LLAP)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024