NASA has terminated the Lunar Trailblazer mission after losing communication with the satellite
By ForGeeks
On July 31, NASA officially announced the early termination of the Lunar Trailblazer mission after communications with the spacecraft were lost shortly after launch. The announcement was made by space agency officials.
The satellite was launched on February 26, 2025, as part of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Center using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The vehicle successfully separated from the second stage 48 minutes after launch, and initially mission operators in Pasadena, California, established sustained communications with it.
The day after launch, however, the satellite stopped responding to commands from Earth. Specialists have not been able to restore contact with the device. According to preliminary telemetry data, the cause of the failure was incorrect orientation of the solar panels, which led to a rapid discharge of onboard batteries.
«Although we did not meet our planned science goals, the experience gained is invaluable for future missions» — said Nicky Fox, deputy administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
Lunar Trailblazer was to conduct detailed mapping of the Moon’s water resources, including determining water forms (ice, hydroxyl groups) and their distribution across the lunar surface. These data were important for the Artemis program and future lunar exploration.
Despite the setback, NASA continues to work with commercial partners, including Intuitive Machines, which is preparing the next lunar missions. More launches under the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program are expected in the coming months.
The NASA terminated the Lunar Trailblazer mission after losing communication with the satellite was first published at itzine.ru.
