CAPSTONE lunar orbiter

First NASA CubeSat mission to reach lunar orbit and a pathfinder for the Lunar Gateway, testing the near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) planned for the station. After launch, Rocket Lab's Lunar Photon upper stage performed six orbit-raising burns over six days before releasing CAPSTONE on a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory on July 4, 2022. The launch was originally planned from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, but was moved to Mahia due to AFTS certification delays.