CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) is a 12-U cubesat mission to test operations in near rectiliniar halo orbit around the Moon, which is to be used for the Lunar Gateway space station. Mission will verify the near rectilinear halo orbit characteristics, spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation services in that orbit, and provide valuable experience of small sat launch to the Moon.
Lunar OrbitStriX β is a Japanese synthetic aperture radar satellite built by Synspective as a demonstrator for their planned 25 satellite constellation. It will feature an X-band synthetic aperture radar. StriX β is an upgraded version of the StriX α prototype. The satellite features two deployable panes, one side carrying solar cells, the other carrying the X-band radar antenna. The StriX satellite constellation can target data with a ground resolution of 1-3 m, single polarized (VV), and a swath width of more than 10-30 km. The StriX observation modes are Stripmap and Sliding Spotlight mode and each satellite has an SAR antenna that is 5 meters in length and stowed during launch. The simple design of the satellites allows for affordable development of the constellation. StriX β was planned to be launched in 2021 on a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat or Soyuz-2-1b Fregat rideshare mission, but as this mission was delayed, it was re-booked on a dedicated Electron KS launch. Synspective is planning a constellation of 25 satellites called StriX, comprised of 100-kilogram satellites capable of imaging at a resolution of one to three meters. By 2022 the company plans to have six satellites in orbit. The company has not set a date by which it hopes to achieve 25 satellites.
Sun-Synchronous OrbitA U.S. Air Force experimental spacecraft. It will demonstrate the use of a deployable sensor, where the sensor’s mass is a substantial fraction of the total mass of the spacecraft and provide a platform to test future space protection capabilities.
Low Earth OrbitThe Electron rocket will carry seven satellites to low Earth orbit: one Earth-observation satellite for BlackSky, two Internet-Of-Things (IoT) nanosatellites for companies Fleet Space and Myriota, a technology demonstration satellite for the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space, a weather satellite pathfinder technology demonstration from Care Weather technologies, a technology demonstrator for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command as well as Rocket Lab’s in-house designed and built Photon Pathstone spacecraft which will operate on orbit as a risk reduction demonstration to build spacecraft heritage ahead of Rocket Lab’s mission to the Moon for NASA later this year.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit