
NASA CAPSTONE Mission Concludes Successfully, Validating Autonomous Lunar Navigation and Deep-Space Communications Technologies
NASA's CAPSTONE spacecraft, launched in June 2022, has completed all primary and extended mission objectives. The mission successfully demonstrated autonomous navigation, guidance, and control (autoNGC) software in lunar orbit for the first time, and validated the latest Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol beyond Earth orbit. NASA formally concluded mission activities in June 2026, while Advanced Space continues to operate the spacecraft as a technology testbed.
Source: NASA Aeronautics










