Advanced Space LLC., a leading space solutions company, has entered into a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Space Vehicles Directorate, and the Spacecraft Technology Division to share data collected from cislunar space through the CAPSTONE mission.

Advanced Space owns and operates the CAPSTONE mission going to the Moon in the early part of 2022. CAPSTONE, Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, is a pathfinder mission for NASA's Artemis program using a small spacecraft, CubeSat. It will be one of the first to ever fly in the unique Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO).

The CRADA focus is to share data collected from this pioneering CubeSat scheduled to fly in cislunar space, between the Earth and Moon. The opportunity to analyze data retrieved from the mission will be beneficial for future mission design and navigation strategies for defense and other customers.

Rapid small spacecraft programs are one of the specialties of Advanced Space, and CAPSTONE will demonstrate its proprietary peer-to-peer evolvable navigation system. A myriad of data is anticipated to be collected while the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System, CAPS, allows the spacecraft to explore and maneuver the orbit.

Dr. James Frith, AFRL's Cislunar Space Domain Awareness PM, stated, "Advanced Space commands a strong knowledge of cislunar space, and will be in a unique position with their CAPSTONE mission, to provide invaluable insight to fortify our space domain awareness of cislunar space, a domain of increased importance."

Advanced Space optimizes mission capabilities beyond traditional strategies for enhanced performance, rapid turn-key missions, and resilience to assure space operations. The mission design, novel launch trajectories, and low-energy transfer that the CAPSTONE spacecraft utilizes will provide fuel efficient solutions and mission flexibility.

Advanced Space is honored to collaborate with the Air Force and the Department of Defense and contribute to joint research regarding cislunar space.

"Our team of experts develop technology and novel methodologies that will support research and experiments conducted by AFRL to inform the future of secure space exploration," said Bradley Cheetham, Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Space and Principal Investigator for the CAPSTONE mission. "Advanced Space is honored to collaborate with the Air Force and the Department of Defense and contribute to joint research regarding cislunar space and generate solutions for space sustainability and security."

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