Advanced Space CEO Bradley Cheetham visits Morehead State University’s Space Science Director and Congressional Staff to Discuss Future

Advanced Space CEO Bradley Cheetham visits Morehead State University’s Space Science Director and Congressional Staff to Discuss Future

Advanced Space’s CEO Bradley Cheetham paid a visit to Morehead State University (MSU) in Kentucky today. Cheetham toured the Space Science Center, along with staff members for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Congressman Hal Rogers. While there, the group discussed the successful Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE™) mission, along with potential future collaborations with MSU.

The addition of the Morehead antenna has proven crucial for the mission, as NASA’s Deep Space Network has faced a lot more demand in recent years. The DSN antennas—including the 21-meter dish at Morehead State—provided over 315,000 measurements needed to track and navigate the spacecraft. Since entering its near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO), CAPSTONE’s microwave-sized CubeSat has completed 28 orbits and 7 maneuvers while enduring 6 lunar eclipses with a maximum duration of 74.32 minutes. The Advanced Space Team has delivered 89 published orbit determination solutions using DSN.

The addition of the Morehead antenna has proven crucial for the mission, as NASA’s Deep Space Network has faced a lot more demand in recent years. The DSN antennas—including the 21-meter dish at Morehead State—provided over 315,000 measurements needed to track and navigate the spacecraft. Since entering its near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO), CAPSTONE’s microwave-sized CubeSat has completed 28 orbits and 7 maneuvers while enduring 6 lunar eclipses with a maximum duration of 74.32 minutes. The Advanced Space Team has delivered 89 published orbit determination solutions using DSN.

CAPSTONE was the first mission to use Morehead’s tracking antenna for its operations in deep space, the facility was added to the Network in 2021. The DSN “affiliated node,” now known as Deep Space Station 17, provides telemetry, tracking, and control services for NASA and commercial space missions. Morehead’s antenna installation also helps engage university students by providing real-world space industry experience in deep-space mission operations.

Augmenting the DSN provides availability when scheduling constraints otherwise limit the network’s existing infrastructure. Similar to MSU’s augmentation of the DSN, Advanced Space’s CAPS technology will support navigation and communications relay at the Moon to support future mission growth. Advanced Space is demonstrating key technologies and learning lessons to inform these future systems to support growth of lunar operations. As the number of missions operating at the Moon increases, the need for augmentation will further increase. And while the Morehead State tracking dish supported CAPSTONE, the CAPSTONE mission also aided the Morehead State tracking dish by validating its operational performance ahead of the Artemis 1 mission launch late last year. This provided confidence for additional payload users on Artemis 1, which included a spacecraft built and managed by Morehead State.

“The addition of the MSU dish has been key to our mission,” said Cheetham. “And through it, CAPS being demonstrated on CAPSTONE will provide future missions with navigation support capabilities. Our partnership with MSU will be a critical component of future lunar navigation and communication relay systems.”

About CAPSTONE™:  CAPSTONE Press Kit

CAPSTONE™ is owned and operated by Advanced Space. It is one of the first CubeSats to fly in cislunar space – the orbital area near and around the Moon – and demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation technology. The mission launched on June 28, 2022.

The Artemis Generation: To the Moon — this time to stay!

The Artemis Generation: To the Moon — this time to stay!

We are in a new era of lunar exploration, development and settlement.

Originally posted to Space.com on 16 April 2023.

On June 28, 2022, CAPSTONE launched into space on a dedicated rocket as the first mission of the Artemis program, ushering in a new generation of lunar exploration, development and settlement. With NASA’s leadership and global involvement, we are entering a period that will define the future of space exploration: the Artemis Generation.

As the architects of CAPSTONE, our team has learned first-hand the challenges of lunar missions. From communications and propulsion anomalies to suspected radiation upsets, traveling to the moon and operating there is not an easy task. During these challenges, however, the best of the industry united and we overcame — such alignment is the key to successful long-term lunar development. (more…)

A Lookback On 2022

A Lookback On 2022

As we go into the new year we want to take a chance to see all the great things our team accomplished this year – it’s hard to believe it all fit into 2022! Check out our video below, along with links to all the things we highlighted this year. (more…)

Team Highlight – Dr. Nathan (Parrish) Ré

Team Highlight – Dr. Nathan (Parrish) Ré

The team members at Advanced Space are the key to our success. Meet Dr. Nathan (Parrish) Ré, one of the company’s first employees who has been with the company for almost eight years.

What got you interested in AI for space?

In 2013, about a year into my PhD at CU Boulder, I had a conversation with a childhood friend who was playing with AI computer vision in his free time. I got really interested in it, so I bought a textbook and spent the next year trying to figure out how to apply AI to astrodynamics. At the time, the technology was much less user-friendly and there wasn’t much to go on. It took a few years to figure out a practical application that could also get me my degree. (more…)

CAPSTONE Countdown – The Team Behind the Scenes

CAPSTONE Countdown – The Team Behind the Scenes

The CAPSTONE Countdown is nearly over! We are mere hours from arriving at the Moon, and there would be no mission without the incredible work of the Advanced Space CAPSTONE Mission Operations Team. From orbit determination and navigation to all the details behind the scenes, thank you to this talented team of engineers, technicians, and more: (more…)

LUNA – Putting the Art in STEAM – Artist Highlight

LUNA – Putting the Art in STEAM – Artist Highlight

“This mural titled Luna captures the sense of wonder humans have
when we lift our eyes to the sky and open ourselves to the mysteries
of the cosmos. The same sense of wonder we have here on Earth,
but from the setting of the Moon – mankind’s next frontier.”

Sarah Bouma

(more…)