NASA’s new water-scouting moon orbiter has been in trouble ever since its Feb. 26 launch atop a SpaceX rocket, but things are looking more dire as the spacecraft runs low on power while spinning in space. Ground controllers for the NASA/Caltech-led mission, called Lunar Trailblazer, have valiantly tried to reestablish communications with the small satellite … Read more
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The private Athena lunar lander is on its way to the moon. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off shortly after sunset this evening (Feb. 26), carrying Athena and NASA’s ride-along Lunar Trailblazer orbiter aloft against a darkening sky here at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Athena — which was built … Read more
LITTLETON, Colorado — A university-led lunar orbiter designed to pinpoint the location of ice or liquid water trapped in rocks on the moon’s surface is nearly ready for takeoff. The Lunar Trailblazer is slated to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than Feb. 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It … Read more