NASA has ended efforts to contact the Lunar Trailblazer probe, which was intended to map lunar water but lost communication shortly after its launch on February 26. Although the probe initially established communication, it lost contact the next day due to improperly oriented solar arrays leading to battery depletion. Despite attempts to recover the probe in July, NASA concluded its recovery efforts. The mission's objective was to create detailed maps of lunar water, which would benefit future lunar missions. The probe was part of NASA's low-cost SIMPLEx program, emphasizing higher risk in space exploration.
NASA's Lunar Trailblazer, launched on February 26, aimed to map lunar water, but contact was lost the day after due to solar array issues and depleted batteries.
Andrew Klesh stated that while the probe drifted into deep space, models suggested the solar panels might receive sunlight again, potentially enabling the spacecraft to turn on.
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