Utilization and Validation of DSS-17 on the CAPSTONE Lunar Mission

Utilization and Validation of DSS-17 on the CAPSTONE Lunar Mission

Presented at the 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting 2023

MichaelR. Thompson, and Mitchell Rosen

ABSTRACT

The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission is an ongoing mission to serve as a pathfinder for cislunar operations and navigation for the Lunar Gateway and the greater Artemis program. As part of nominal operations, one of the tracking dishes that CAPSTONE utilizes is DSS-17 at Morehead State University. Through a series of necessary corrections, CAPSTONE has been able to generate radiometric measurements using this dish on the same order of noise magnitude as typical DSN measurements. This paper will provide an overview of the necessary processes and early performance of DSS-17 in CAPSTONE orbit determination.

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