# Lunar Trailblazer

> NASA satellite to study characteristics of water on the Moon

**Wikidata**: [Q109043864](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109043864)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Trailblazer)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lunar-trailblazer

## Summary
Lunar Trailblazer is a NASA-funded lunar orbiter mission designed to study the characteristics of water on the Moon. The 210 kg spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin Space and operated by JPL, was launched on 2025-02-27 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.

## Key Facts
- Lunar Trailblazer is a lunar orbiter whose mission is to study characteristics of water on the Moon.
- Launch date and time: 2025-02-27 at 00:16:30 (COSPAR ID 2025-038C).
- Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5 (booster identifiers: B1083 / B1083.9), launch contractor SpaceX, launch site Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
- Spacecraft mass (launch weight): 210 kilograms.
- Operator: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Space.
- Power: spacecraft solar array (2 arrays).
- Program affiliation: part of Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx); also known as SIMPLEx 5.
- Identifiers: NAIF ID -242; NSSDCA ID L-TRLBLZR.
- Website: https://trailblazer.caltech.edu/; commons category/image: Lunar_trailblazer_artist's_view.jpg.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary objective of Lunar Trailblazer?
A: The primary objective is to study the characteristics of water on the Moon. The mission is a lunar orbiter dedicated to measuring and characterizing lunar water.

### Q: When and how was Lunar Trailblazer launched?
A: Lunar Trailblazer was launched on 2025-02-27 at 00:16:30 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket.

### Q: Who built and operates the spacecraft?
A: The spacecraft was manufactured by Lockheed Martin Space and is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The mission is funded by NASA.

### Q: How large or heavy is the spacecraft?
A: The launch mass (launch weight) of Lunar Trailblazer is 210 kilograms.

## Why It Matters
Lunar Trailblazer addresses a central question in lunar science by directly studying the characteristics of water on the Moon. As a focused lunar orbiter within NASA’s SIMPLEx (Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration) program, it demonstrates the utility of relatively small, cost-conscious missions to perform targeted science. The spacecraft’s measurements of lunar water characteristics contribute empirical data about water’s presence, state, and distribution in lunar orbit/near-surface environments. Such data are important for refining scientific models of the Moon’s volatile inventory and for informing subsequent observational and exploration efforts. Operated by JPL and built by Lockheed Martin Space, the mission leverages commercial launch services (SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5) to reach lunar orbit, illustrating current mission architectures that combine government science priorities, industry manufacturing, and commercial launch capabilities.

## Notable For
- Dedicated lunar orbiter focused specifically on studying characteristics of water on the Moon.
- Small spacecraft design with a launch mass of 210 kg as part of NASA’s SIMPLEx program (alias SIMPLEx 5).
- Launched on 2025-02-27 from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A on a Falcon 9 Block 5 (booster B1083 / B1083.9).
- Built by Lockheed Martin Space and operated by JPL under NASA funding.
- Identified in catalogues with NAIF ID -242 and NSSDCA ID L-TRLBLZR.

## Body
### Mission overview
- Mission type: lunar orbiter.
- Primary mission goal: study characteristics of water on the Moon.
- Program: Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx); also referenced as SIMPLEx 5.

### Spacecraft specifications
- Launch mass (criterion: launch weight): 210 kg.
- Power system: spacecraft solar array, quantity two.
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Space.
- Operator: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
- Funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- Aliases: SIMPLEx 5.

### Launch and flight details
- Launch date and time: 2025-02-27 at 00:16:30.
- Launch vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5.
- Launch contractor: SpaceX.
- Launch site / start point: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
- Launch identifiers: COSPAR ID 2025-038C.
- Launch booster identifiers (qualifiers): B1083, B1083.9.

### Orbit and operations
- Satellite of: lunar orbit.
- Instance/classification: lunar orbiter.

### Identifiers and catalog entries
- NAIF ID: -242.
- NSSDCA ID: L-TRLBLZR.
- COSPAR ID: 2025-038C.
- Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Lunar_trailblazer_artist's_view.jpg

### Organization and web resources
- Country of origin: United States.
- Operator: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
- Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Space.
- Funder: NASA.
- Official website: https://trailblazer.caltech.edu/ (English).

## References

1. [Source](https://spacenews.com/nasa-moves-up-lunar-trailblazer-launch/)
2. [Source](https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/2316.pdf)
3. Jonathan's Space Report
4. [Source](https://spacenews.com/falcon-9-launches-second-intuitive-machines-lunar-lander/)
5. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/lunar-trailblazer.htm)
6. [Source](https://spacenews.com/nasa-to-continue-lunar-trailblazer-despite-cost-overrun/)