# Asteroid defence & Artemis lunar navigation > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/un-international-asteroid-day-observance > Updated: 2026-08-25T12:00:00.000Z. Sources: 68. Developments: 13. International efforts in asteroid defense and lunar navigation continue to advance. China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) plans a 2027 launch to test kinetic impact deflection on asteroid 2015 XF261. Led by scientist Li Mingtao, the mission will use an impactor traveling at over 9 km/s—significantly faster than NASA’s 2022 DART mission—to attempt to alter the object's orbit. Regarding lunar operations, NASA is progressing with the CAPSTONE 02 mission, scheduled for 2027. The mission will deploy two 400-kg spacecraft, built by Terran Orbital Systems and Advanced Space, into a near-rectilinear halo orbit. These probes will alternate between “chaser” and “target” roles to validate autonomous navigation, docking, and formation-flying in complex three-body gravitational environments. Advanced Space, acting as prime contractor, is partnering with Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) to provide flight-qualified Iris Radios for communications and precise timekeeping. These systems will support both direct-to-Earth and spacecraft-to-spacecraft crosslinks to demonstrate coordinated autonomy. This technology is essential for the Artemis program’s requirement to coordinate launches between NASA’s Orion, Blue Origin’s lander, and SpaceX’s lander. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman noted that achieving a late 2028 Moon landing goal relies heavily on SpaceX’s engineering and financial capabilities, stating, “We can’t do it without them.” Preparations for Artemis III, planned for late 2027, remain focused on crew readiness. The four-person crew includes pilot Luca Parmitano, commander Randy Bresnik, and specialists Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Robert Hines. Astronauts and geologists are undergoing underwater training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory to simulate lunar south-pole conditions, including practicing sample collection in low-light environments. Meanwhile, academic interest in lunar orbits grows, with University of Cambridge researchers proposing the CosmoCube satellite to study the early universe from the Moon’s far side. ## Claims - Artemis III is planned to launch in the second half of 2027. (corroborated by 3 sources) - ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano will serve as pilot of Artemis III. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Artemis III will involve rendezvous and docking maneuvers with two lunar landers. (corroborated by 3 sources) - NASA will launch two identical 400‑kilogram satellites in 2027 for the CAPSTONE 02 mission. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Blue Origin and SpaceX will provide lunar landers for Artemis III, with Blue Origin’s lander capable of loitering about 30 days. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The CAPSTONE 02 contract was awarded to Advanced Space. (single source) - Terran Orbital Systems will build the two CAPSTONE 02 satellites. (single source) - CAPSTONE 02 will test autonomous navigation, encounter, formation flight, and communication without ground control. (single source) - Each CAPSTONE 02 satellite will carry an optical sensor and navigation software that determines position using celestial bodies. (single source) - The original CAPSTONE mission in 2022‑23 demonstrated a stable lunar halo orbit with a 25‑kilogram satellite. (single source) - NASA uses the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory to train astronauts for lunar south‑pole operations. (single source) - Randy Bresnik is the commander of Artemis III. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-25: NASA extends Starling satellite swarm mission to test autonomous navigation NASA is extending its Starling CubeSat mission to 2028 to test autonomous, GPS-independent navigation for future deep-space and lunar exploration missions. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-extends-starling-satellite-swarm-mission-to-test-autonomous-navigation ### 2026-08-22: Advanced Space and SDL partner on CAPSTONE 02 lunar mission Advanced Space and Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory are partnering on the CAPSTONE 02 mission to advance autonomous navigation and communications in cislunar space for NASA. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/advanced-space-and-sdl-partner-on-capstone-02-lunar-mission ### 2026-08-13: Lunar exploration advances with new satellite projects New lunar missions are advancing space science and navigation: Cambridge researchers propose the CosmoCube satellite to study the early universe, while NASA plans the CAPSTONE 02 mission for autonomous lunar-mo 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lunar-exploration-advances-with-new-satellite-projects ### 2026-08-04: NASA Artemis III mission preparations and astronaut training NASA’s Artemis III, planned for late‑2027, will send a four‑person crew—including ESA pilot Luca Parmitano—to orbit and dock with two lunar landers, while training in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab and testing three‑ 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-advances-artemis-lunar-landing-program-with-astronaut-training-and-capstone-navigation-tests ### 2026-07-31: NASA schedules 2027 CAPSTONE 02 lunar rendezvous test mission NASA will launch two 400 kg probes in 2027 for the CAPSTONE 02 mission, testing lunar rendezvous, navigation and communications to support Artemis lunar operations. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-schedules-2027-capstone-02-lunar-rendezvous-test-mission ### 2026-07-29: China's Asteroid Deflection Mission Targets 2015 XF261 China's CNSA will launch a 2027 mission with two spacecraft to impact asteroid 2015 XF261 at >9 km/s, aiming to alter its orbit and become the second country to demonstrate kinetic‑impact deflection. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/china-plans-asteroid-deflection-mission-targeting-2015-xf261-before-2030 ### 2026-07-28: NASA advances lunar navigation with CAPSTONE 02 mission NASA’s CAPSTONE 02 mission will test autonomous lunar navigation in 2027, while Administrator Jared Isaacman says the 2028 Moon landing depends on SpaceX’s capabilities. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-advances-lunar-navigation-with-capstone-02-mission ### 2026-07-24: China readies high‑speed test to strike near‑Earth asteroid China plans a dual‑spacecraft mission to hit asteroid 2015 XF261 at 9 km/s, testing orbit alteration, fragmentation and interior analysis, building on NASA’s DART success. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/china-readies-highspeed-test-to-strike-nearearth-asteroid ### 2026-07-24: NASA's CAPSTONE 02 Lunar Navigation Test Mission Planned for 2027 NASA will launch two 400 kg satellites in 2027 for CAPSTONE 02, testing autonomous cislunar navigation, formation‑flight and communications without ground control. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nasa-capstone-02-lunar-mission-and-advanced-space-asteroid-defense-architecture-advance-space-techno ### 2026-07-21: China plans high‑speed asteroid impact mission for planetary defense China aims to launch a two‑craft mission by 2029‑30 to smash a spacecraft at Mach 26 into asteroid 2015 XF261, testing kinetic‑impact deflection as part of its growing planetary‑defence program. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/china-to-test-kineticimpact-asteroid-deflection-on-2015-xf261 ### 2026-07-19: China builds asteroid detection network, plans impact test by 2030 China is creating a ground‑and‑space asteroid tracking system and preparing a high‑speed spacecraft impact mission on a near‑Earth asteroid before 2030 to test planetary‑defence capabilities. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/china-builds-asteroid-detection-network-plans-impact-test-by-2030 ### 2026-06-30: International Asteroid Day highlights global asteroid monitoring and defense UN‑designated International Asteroid Day on 30 June raises awareness of asteroid hazards, tracks thousands of NEOs, and highlights planetary‑defence missions like DART and the upcoming Hera. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/un-declares-june-30-international-asteroid-day-to-boost-global-asteroid-impact-awareness ### 2026-06-29: ESA and NASA push asteroid deflection plans ahead of International Asteroid Day Scientists highlight asteroid impact risks and report ESA‑NASA deflection efforts, including the DART impact, Hera mission data collection, and the 2029 Apophis observation plan ahead of International Asteroid 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/un-designates-june-30-2026-as-international-asteroid-day --- Cite as: Asteroid defence & Artemis lunar navigation. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/un-international-asteroid-day-observance