The Gateway space station will operate in a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) around the Moon, providing substantial capabilities and opportunities for Artemis missions.
nrho_infographic_may_2022
CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat, will fly in cislunar space – the orbital space near and around the Moon. The mission will demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation solution at the Moon from a near rectilinear halo orbit slated for Artemis’ Gateway. Illustration by Daniel Rutter.
CAPSTONE revealed in lunar Sunrise (Illustration)
CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat, will fly in cislunar space – the orbital space near and around the Moon. The mission will demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation solution at the Moon from a near rectilinear halo orbit slated for Artemis’ Gateway. Illustration by Daniel Rutter.
CAPSTONE in orbit near the Moon (Illustration)
CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat, will fly in cislunar space – the orbital space near and around the Moon. The mission will demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation solution at the Moon from a near rectilinear halo orbit slated for Artemis’ Gateway. Illustration by Daniel Rutter.
CAPSTONE facing the Sun (Illustration)
CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat, will fly in cislunar space – the orbital space near and around the Moon. The mission will demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation solution at the Moon from a near rectilinear halo orbit slated for Artemis’ Gateway. Illustration by Daniel Rutter.
CAPSTONE approaches the lunar North Pole (Illustration)
CAPSTONE, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat, will fly in cislunar space – the orbital space near and around the Moon. The mission will demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation solution at the Moon from a near rectilinear halo orbit slated for Artemis’ Gateway. Illustration by Daniel Rutter.
CAPSTONE over the lunar North Pole (Illustration)
The Lunar Gateway Launch, mapped. Gateway's first elements, the Power and Propulsion Element and HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), will launch together to lunar orbit, where they’ll set the stage for Artemis IV: the first Gateway assembly mission. During this milestone mission, the Artemis IV crew will deliver the European Space Agency's Lunar I-Hab, dock it to HALO, and enter the space station for the very first time. NASA is currently targeting a 2027 launch for HALO and the Power and Propulsion Element. This timeline allows for the roughly year-long journey to lunar orbit and ensures everything is in place ahead of Artemis IV.
The Lunar Gateway Launch Map (jsc2025e037586)