Near-rectilinear halo orbit

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In orbital mechanics a near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) is a halo orbit that passes close to the smaller of two bodies and has nearly stable behavior. The CAPSTONE mission, launched in 2022, is the first spacecraft to use such orbit in cislunar space, and this Moon-centric orbit is planned as a staging area for future lunar missions. In contrast with low lunar orbit which NASA characterizes as being deep in the lunar gravity well, NRHO is described as being "balanced on the edge" of the gravity well. The NRHOs are a subset of the L1 and L2 halo families. This orbit type could also be used with other bodies in the Solar System and beyond.

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