RTX Deploys Blue Canyon Satellite to Help Shape Future Space Missions
- ritambhara516
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Bathed in lunar glow, a small but powerful satellite from Blue Canyon Technologies, a division of RTX (NYSE: RTX), has been launched into orbit to power a pioneering NASA mission. Known as ARCSTONE, the mission is built around a remarkable idea: using sunlight reflected off the Moon to help satellites observe Earth with greater clarity and accuracy. This mission reimagines the Moon not as a distant celestial object, but as a high-precision calibration tool that will sharpen the vision of satellites monitoring our changing planet.
The CubeSat, designed and built by Blue Canyon Technologies, is at the heart of ARCSTONE. Its mission is to measure lunar spectral reflectance—the way sunlight bounces off the Moon’s surface across different wavelengths. These highly accurate light readings will be used to calibrate a wide range of Earth-observing satellites. Calibration is the backbone of space-based remote sensing, and ARCSTONE aims to set a new benchmark in the process.
Traditionally, satellite instruments are calibrated either before launch or using complex models, but in space, their accuracy can drift over time. That’s where ARCSTONE’s method stands out. The Moon, with its stable surface and consistent reflectance, offers a reliable reference point in space. And thanks to Blue Canyon’s technology, this mission now has a smart and agile spacecraft to capture that data.
According to Dr. Constantine Lukashin, principal investigator of the mission and a physical research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, “The Moon is an excellent and available source for calibration with the potential for high accuracy. ARCSTONE will enable multiple spaceborne assets to improve quality of measurements and data products for generations to come.”
The science behind it involves a spectrometer—an instrument aboard the CubeSat that splits light into its spectral components to analyze how it behaves. By measuring sunlight reflected from the entire lunar surface, the ARCSTONE spectrometer will collect essential calibration data. These readings will help satellite instruments better interpret light reflected off Earth’s surface and atmosphere, which in turn strengthens the reliability of the data we depend on to monitor everything from air quality to ice melt to forest health.
Such detailed measurements are not feasible from Earth’s surface because the atmosphere interferes with light. This makes ARCSTONE’s position in space vital. Orbiting beyond atmospheric distortion, the satellite will provide clear, uninterrupted views of the Moon’s reflected light, thus ensuring more accurate calibrations for Earth-facing instruments.
As explained by Chris Winslett, general manager at Blue Canyon Technologies, “Our advanced spacecraft technology will support ARCSTONE in its efforts to enable high-accuracy lunar calibration standards for past, present, and future sensors in low-Earth and geostationary orbits.”
The spacecraft is equipped with precision guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems, giving it high pointing accuracy—critical for capturing targeted lunar measurements. The CubeSat is designed to be agile, capable of making subtle orientation adjustments so it can consistently aim at the Moon’s surface with pinpoint precision.
This launch also marks a significant achievement for Blue Canyon Technologies. The ARCSTONE satellite is the company’s 66th CubeSat to be launched into orbit, bringing its overall total of CubeSat and microsatellite launches to 84 spacecraft. The unit was built in Blue Canyon’s CubeSat manufacturing facility in Boulder, Colorado, and is being operated from their Mission Operations Center in Lafayette, Colorado.
Blue Canyon will remain in close contact with the CubeSat throughout its mission, making approximately three communications per day to collect data, monitor performance, and ensure the mission continues to run smoothly.
The implications of this mission stretch far beyond the Moon. By using the Moon as a universal light source for calibration, ARCSTONE could standardize measurements across multiple satellite systems. That means cleaner, more comparable data between satellites launched by different agencies or even different countries. This global benefit is especially crucial as the world faces urgent challenges like climate change, deforestation, pollution, and rising sea levels—where data accuracy can influence policy, preparedness, and response.
Moreover, this mission reflects RTX’s growing influence in the space technology landscape. From defense to deep space, RTX is applying its engineering expertise to develop more reliable, autonomous, and intelligent systems that expand what’s possible in orbit.
In a world increasingly reliant on satellites for decision-making—from agriculture and resource management to environmental protection and disaster response—missions like ARCSTONE are no longer optional; they are essential. With this launch, the Moon officially becomes more than a symbol of wonder. It becomes a functional part of the scientific toolkit, thanks to cutting-edge American engineering and vision.
This mission stands as a reminder that in space, even the oldest objects—like the Moon—can serve a brand-new purpose. With ARCSTONE now in orbit, NASA and RTX are showing how collaboration and innovation can turn celestial light into actionable knowledge for Earth.