Mission Launch: NASA launched the Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to explore the Moon’s south pole and map water distribution.
By Aniket Chakraorty
Feb 28, 2025
Water Mapping: Lunar Trailblazer will use two instruments, HVM3 and LTM, to detect water forms and track changes over time, creating detailed lunar water maps.
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IM-2 Lander: Intuitive Machines’ lander, part of NASA’s CLPS initiative, will land on March 6 near the Moon’s south pole to conduct scientific experiments.
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PRIME-1 Experiment: The lander carries PRIME-1, which includes a drill (TRIDENT) and a spectrometer (MSolo) to analyse lunar soil for water ice and gases.
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Lunar Hopper: A propulsive drone, Micro Nova, will hop across the Moon’s surface to explore craters and permanently shadowed regions for scientific data.
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Communication System: Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS) will enable high-definition communication between the lander, rover, and hopper.
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Artemis Connection: The mission supports NASA’s Artemis campaign, aiming to study lunar resources and prepare for sustainable human exploration.
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Laser Retroreflector: A Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) will serve as a permanent reference point on the Moon for future missions.
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Water’s Importance: Discovering lunar water could provide resources like drinking water, breathable air, and fuel for future astronaut missions.
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Scientific Goals: The mission aims to uncover the origins of lunar water, understand its distribution, and advance space exploration for humanity’s benefit.