Communication with the device was lost on July 4.
NASA managed to restore communication with the cubesat Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE), moving towards the moon, reports New Atlas. From 'communication with the vehicle was lost on July 4 after it separated from the booster of the launch vehicle.
After making several engine starts over six days, the vehicle left low Earth orbit and entered a ballistic trajectory lunar space.
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NASA said that the loss of communication with the satellite was not a major concern because it had enough fuel on board to delay the necessary course correction for several days, and the flight control center was sure of the correctness of its position and trajectory.
Meanwhile, the CAPSTONE mission team worked to restore communications and identify and fix the problem. As a result, they managed to receive the first signals from the satellite, and later the telemetry data.
Scientists said that the initial data sent by the device indicate that it is working, it is functioning as expected. During the loss of communication, CAPSTONE continued to operate autonomously, maintaining the correct position and directing the antenna to Earth. In addition, it maintained battery power and performed a pulse desaturation maneuver to eliminate excessive rotation of the jet wheels used to keep the probe stable.
Engineers noted that CAPSTONE was back in operation and its navigation system had been upgraded.
The satellite is planned to enter the lunar orbit on November 13 and will work there as part of the Artemis mission.
The launch of the Artemis-1 mission is planned to take place between August 23 and September 6. Then the module will be launched, which will go into lunar orbit and provide data on how such a journey can affect the human body. After 2025, the agency plans to launch a manned mission to the Moon.
