Lunar Trailblazer Vanishes after Launch, Leaving NASA Puzzled

Ground stations worldwide are listening for its signal, while scientists analyze available data. The mission’s primary science objectives may be lost, but NASA is weighing alternative options, the SciTechDaily reported.

NASA has been working to restore communication with the Lunar Trailblazer since mission operators at Caltech’s IPAC lost contact with the small satellite on February 27, just one day after launch.

The team is continuously sending commands to the spacecraft through NASA’s Deep Space Network, while other radio ground stations are voluntarily listening for a signal and tracking its movement as it drifts farther from Earth. Scientists are analyzing collected data to determine the spacecraft’s orientation and rotation, while engineers use test environments to study its boot-up behavior and explore possible recovery options from a low-power state.

While Lunar Trailblazer’s prime science mission is no longer possible, NASA is assessing whether there are mission options for the future.

Lunar Trailblazer is a selection of NASA’s SIMPLEx (Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration) competition, which provides opportunities for low-cost science spacecraft to ride-share with selected primary missions. To maintain the lower overall cost, SIMPLEx missions have a higher risk posture and less stringent requirements for oversight and management. This higher risk acceptance bolsters NASA’s portfolio of targeted science missions designed to test pioneering mission approaches.