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]