NASA Is Still Trying to Squeeze Some Life From Doomed Lunar Orbiter

NASA is not one to let a good spacecraft go to waste. For nearly two weeks, the space agency has been trying to reestablish communications with a recently launched satellite that was originally headed toward the Moon.

Lunar Trailblazer launched on February 26 on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the aim of entering lunar orbit and gathering data on the state of water on the Moon. Despite successfully deploying from the rocket, the spacecraft began experiencing trouble with its power system shortly after reaching space. The next day, communication with Trailblazer was lost. Since then, NASA has been trying to communicate with its spacecraft. Although Lunar Trailblazer will not be able to carry out its original mission, the space agency is working to find alternative options for the spacecraft.

“Based on telemetry before the loss of signal last week and ground-based radar data collected March 2, the team believes the spacecraft is spinning slowly in a low-power state,” NASA wrote in an update on March 4. “They will continue to monitor for signals should the spacecraft orientation change to where the solar panels receive more sunlight, increasing their output to support higher-power operations and communication.”

The team keeps sending commands to the spacecraft through NASA’s Deep Space Network, while other ground-based radio stations volunteer to listen for a signal to return. The mission’s team is also going through the data that was initially collected to figure out the spacecraft’s orientation and rotation, while using testbeds to study its behavior during boot-up and recovery options from a low-power state, according to NASA.

Lunar Trailblazer is part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, low-cost science spacecraft that ride-share with other missions. “To maintain the lower overall cost, SIMPLEx missions have a higher risk posture and less-stringent requirements for oversight and management,” NASA wrote. SIMPLEx missions are supposed to be capped at $55 million, however, the cost of building and operating Lunar Trailblazer reached $94 million, according to The New York Times.

Whether it was overpriced or not, NASA is not giving up on its satellite. “NASA sends up high-risk, high-reward missions like Lunar Trailblazer to do incredible science at a lower cost, and the team truly encapsulates the NASA innovative spirit,” Nicky Fox, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, said in a statement. “If anyone can bring Lunar Trailblazer back, it is them.”