NASA struggles to regain control of its $30 million Capstone spacecraft

NASA's tiny CAPSTONE spacecraft has run into trouble on its way to the moon and is currently tumbling out of control. The US space agency's $30 million probe, which is around the size of a microwave oven and weighs just 55 pounds, has also been experiencing temperature issues and had problems generating power from its solar panels. Toward the end of a major engine burn last Thursday (September 9), CAPSTONE experienced an anomaly that put the probe in a protective'safe mode', mission team members said. In an update issued this week, Advanced Space – the company that is managing the project for NASA – described it as a'dynamic operational situation'. It is not the first time CAPSTONE has hit a snag.