NASA's Trailblazer Mission to Study Lunar Water Ice Set for Launch

NASA's Trailblazer lunar satellite is integrated with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in Florida, scheduled for launch on February 26 from Kennedy Space Center. The mission aims to orbit the Moon and assess its water content. Trailblazer will separate from its rocket 48 minutes post-launch, embarking on a minimum two-year mission. Equipped with the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Mapper (HVM3) and the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM), it will map lunar surface minerals and water, including ice in permanently shadowed craters. The spacecraft weighs 200 kg, with a 3.5-meter wingspan when solar panels are deployed. The journey to lunar orbit will take four to six months, utilizing gravity for efficiency. The final orbital position will be approximately 100 km above the lunar surface, orbiting 12 times daily. Trailblazer's data will aid NASA's Artemis missions by enhancing understanding of the lunar surface.