| Mission type | Lunar Mapping |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Website | trailblazer |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Lunar Trailblazer |
| Spacecraft type | Small satellite |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Launch mass | 200kg [1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Q4 2024 (planned)[2] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Moon orbiter | |
Lunar Trailblazer is a planned small (class D) lunar orbiter, part of NASA's SIMPLEx program, that will detect and map water on the lunar surface to determine how its form, abundance, and location relate to geology.[3] Its mission is to aid in the understanding of lunar water and the Moon's water cycle. Lunar Trailblazer is currently slated to launch in 2024 as a secondary payload on the IM-2 mission.[4] The Principal Investigator (PI) of the mission is Bethany Ehlmann, a professor at Caltech.[5]
- ^ "Getting To The Moon". Caltech Lunar Trailblazer. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (13 February 2024). "Intuitive Machines ready for launch of its first lunar lander". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ Ehlmann, B.L. "Lunar Trailblazer: A Pioneering Small Satellite for Lunar Water and Lunar Geology" (PDF). Lunar & Planetary Science Conference 2022. Lunar & Planetary Institute. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ "Falcon 9 Block 5 - PRIME-1 (IM-2)". Next Spaceflight. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Caltech-Led Lunar Trailblazer Mission Approved to Begin Final Design and Build – Pasadena Now". www.pasadenanow.com. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
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