NASA’s Latest Setback: The Loss of Another Low-Cost Planetary Mission and What It Means for Future Exploration

The Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft launched in late February aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Since then, NASA has raised concerns about the spacecraft’s condition. It seems to be spinning and has lost communication with its team on Earth.

In a recent update, NASA shared that a team from the California Institute of Technology is working hard to regain contact with the 200-kilogram orbiter, which was designed to study the Moon. The last known telemetry data indicated that the spacecraft might be spinning slowly and is currently using minimal power. The team hopes the spacecraft can change its position to catch more sunlight, which would help restore energy and allow for communication.

Unfortunately, because of these issues, Lunar Trailblazer has not been able to perform the small thruster maneuvers needed to enter its intended orbit, about 100 kilometers above the Moon’s surface. Once it reaches the Moon, Trailblazer’s goal is to explore the presence of lunar ice in dark craters.

If contact is reestablished, there’s still a chance that Trailblazer could enter some orbit around the Moon and achieve at least part of its objectives. However, the situation does not look promising.

This setback also brings attention to NASA’s efforts in developing low-cost missions under the Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program. This initiative aims to support economical planetary exploration, but so far, it hasn’t seen any successful outcomes.