Two recently launched lunar probes, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer and Astroforge’s Odin, are experiencing communication difficulties shortly after their February 26th launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center. These early issues highlight the inherent complexities of space travel.
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, designed to orbit the Moon and search for water, encountered power system anomalies soon after deployment. Communication was briefly lost on February 27th but later re-established. NASA teams are currently working to assess the power issues and develop solutions. Part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, Lunar Trailblazer is categorized as “high-risk, low-cost,” although its cost has exceeded the $55 million SIMPLEx cap, reaching $94 million. This program accepts higher risk to enable science missions that might not otherwise be feasible due to budgetary constraints.
Astroforge’s Odin, tasked with scanning asteroids for valuable metals, has faced numerous ground station issues. CEO Matt Gialich reported a broken ground-based power amplifier as the source of the communication problems. While Astroforge believes Odin is “power positive” and on track to reach the opposite side of the Moon within two days, the company acknowledges uncertainty about the spacecraft’s precise state. Two possibilities remain: Odin is functioning correctly, or it is tumbling uncontrollably. Further updates are expected. Similar to Lunar Trailblazer, Odin is a low-budget mission, estimated at $6.5 million, with Astroforge having raised at least $55 million in funding since 2022. Odin’s mission involves utilizing lunar gravity to propel itself towards asteroid 2022 EB5, located approximately 4,039,000 miles (6,500,100 kilometers) from Earth. The mission’s completion timeline remains undetermined. Prior to launch, Gialich acknowledged the “exceptional risks” associated with the mission’s low cost.
A third probe, Intuitive Machines’ Athena lunar lander, launched alongside Trailblazer and Odin, is currently performing as expected. The company confirmed Athena’s good health, stable attitude, functioning solar panels, and consistent communication with mission control. Currently about halfway to the Moon, Athena is scheduled to land on March 6th.
These early setbacks experienced by Lunar Trailblazer and Odin underscore the inherent challenges and risks of space exploration, even for robotic missions. The vastness and hostility of space present numerous potential complications, reinforcing the complexity of such endeavors.
