Lunar Trailblazer Mission Ends Prematurely After Communication Loss

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission, aimed at mapping lunar water resources, has ended prematurely after losing contact with the satellite. Launched in February, the satellite successfully separated from its rocket but failed to correctly orient its solar arrays, leading to battery depletion and communication loss. While unsuccessful, NASA views the mission as a valuable learning experience for future low-cost, small satellite missions, contributing to a sustained human presence on the Moon. The mission sought to create high-resolution maps of water on the moon's surface, assessing its abundance, form, and temporal changes.