Nasa is still trying to get a little life out of the doomed lunar orbital

NASA is not a person to let a good spacecraft waste. For almost two weeks, the space agency has been trying to restore communications with a recently launched satellite, which initially headed for the moon.

Lunar Trailblazer starts on February 26th On board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the purpose of entering the moon orbit and collecting data on the state of the moon’s water. Despite the successful deployment of the rocket, the spacecraft began to experience problems with its power system shortly after reaching the site. The next day, Communication with Trailblazer was lostS Since then, NASA has been trying to communicate with its spacecraft. Although Lunar Trailblazer will not be able to fulfill its original mission, the space agency works to find alternative options for the spacecraft.

“Based on telemetry before losing a signal last week and ground radar data collected on March 2, the team believes that the spacecraft is slowly rotating with low power,” NASA wrote in one Update March 4. “They will continue to monitor signals if the orientation of spacecraft changes to the point where solar panels receive more sunlight, increasing their production to maintain surgery and communication with higher power.”

The team continues to send commands to the spacecraft through NASA’s deep space network, while other ground radio stations voluntarily listen to a signal to return. The mission team also passes through the data that was originally collected to understand the orientation and rotation of the spacecraft while using test beds to examine its behavior during low -power charging and recovery options according to condition, according to condition NASAS

Lunar Trailblazer is part of the NASA Small Innovative Planetary Planetary Survey Missions program, a spacecraft with low -cost sciences that ride with other missions. “In order to maintain lower overall costs, Simplex missions have a higher risk posture and less striking requirements for supervision and management,” NASA wrote. Simplex missions are assumed to have been limited to $ 55 million, however, but, thehe spending Since the construction and operation of the lunar Trailblazer has reached $ 94 million, according to the New York Times.

Whether it was overestimated or not, NASA does not give up its companion. “NASA sends high-risk high-reward missions like Lunar Trailblazer to make an incredible science at a lower price, and the team really encapsulates NASA’s innovative spirit,” Niki Fox, an associate administrator of the NASA Scientific Mission Directorate. “If anyone can return the lunar paths, they are them.”