KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Before the next NASA astronauts launch to the moon, NASA is testing a lunar orbit that’s never been flown before.
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The Capstone mission is underway and is planned to serve as a “pathfinder” for NASA’s moon Gateway space station.
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NASA reestablished communications with the Capstone spacecraft on Wednesday.
Photos: NASA reconnects with Capstone spacecraft en route to find new pathway to the moon
The Capstone team is now working to find out why communication was lost in the first place.
It appears to have been a combination of a command error and a software glitch that made the spacecraft’s radio lose connection.
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The Capstone spacecraft was launched just over a week ago by Rocket Lab.
Capstone is testing a unique lunar orbit that will one day be the home of NASA’s Gateway.
The spacecraft is not expected to reach its destination around the moon until mid-November.
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For months, the spacecraft will gather data and demonstrate an onboard navigation system.
See more in the video above.
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