{
  "id": 17895,
  "title": "NASA is sending 2 probes to the moon to test complex 'three-body orbits'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/31/nasa-is-sending-2-probes-to-the-moon-to-test-complex-three-body-orbits",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-07-31T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Space.com",
    "slug": "space-com",
    "url": "https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/nasa-is-sending-2-probes-to-the-moon-to-test-complex-three-body-orbits"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASA plans to launch two probes in 2027 to investigate complex gravitational interactions in the lunar vicinity. This mission, named CAPSTONE 02, aims to provide insights into spacecraft maneuverability within the so-called \"three-body orbits\" that occur due to the combined gravitational forces of Earth and the moon. By maneuvering the probes in close proximity and maintaining a \"formation\" pattern, mission operators will be able to better comprehend the challenges spacecraft face in cislunar space, which is critical for the success of NASA's Artemis missions and future moon base construction. Sean Fuller, NASA's Moon Base CAPSTONE manager, emphasized that this mission is a significant step towards advancing cislunar capabilities and paving the way for lunar infrastructure and commercial services. The two CAPSTONE 02 probes, built by Terran Orbital Systems, Inc., will alternate between \"chaser\" and \"target\" roles while flying in formation. They will rely on celestial navigation, optical sensors, and data from ground-based telescopes to perform these maneuvers. This setup is similar to how NASA intends to use various data sources to help its Orion spacecraft rendezvous with lunar landers during the Artemis III mission, scheduled for 2027. The Orion spacecraft will attempt to dock with both Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander and SpaceX's Starship, if all goes according to plan. The primary objective of this mission is to test the performance of navigation systems under the challenging conditions of cislunar space, as such conditions cannot be fully replicated on Earth. CAPSTONE 02 is the second mission under NASA's CAPSTONE program, which previously launched a microwave-sized probe in 2022 that successfully tested three-body orbits in a near rectilinear halo orbit, a stable position resulting from the nearly equal gravitational pulls of Earth and the moon.",
  "summary": "NASA is planning to send two maneuverable probes to lunar orbit in order to learn how spacecraft are affected by the complex gravity environment near the moon.",
  "key_points": [
    "NASA plans 2027 launch of two probes for CAPSTONE 02 mission.",
    "Probes to test complex 'three-body orbits' in lunar vicinity.",
    "Mission aims to advance cislunar capabilities for Artemis missions."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ars Technica Science",
        "title": "Attitude control issues leave Swift rescue mission spinning in orbit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/28/attitude-control-issues-leave-swift-rescue-mission-spinning-in-orbit",
        "published": "2026-07-28T22:09:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Scientific American",
        "title": "Rescue mission to save NASA’s Swift space telescope is imperiled in orbit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/29/rescue-mission-to-save-nasas-swift-space-telescope-is-imperiled-in",
        "published": "2026-07-29T13:15:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Space.com",
        "title": "On this day in space! Aug. 1, 1968: NASA ends production of Saturn V moon rocket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/on-this-day-in-space-aug-1-1968-nasa-ends-production-of-saturn-v-moon",
        "published": "2026-08-01T14:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}