Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Just days after launch, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer and AstroForge’s Odin are facing major technical issues. Communication failures and power problems could jeopardize their missions.
Designed to search for lunar water, NASA’s $94 million Trailblazer lost contact hours after launch. Engineers are racing to restore stable power before the mission is lost.
Originally a low-budget project, Lunar Trailblazer's cost ballooned to $94 million—raising concerns about whether cheaper missions can handle the harsh realities of space.
AstroForge’s asteroid-mining probe lost contact soon after launch. While its solar panels still work, the spacecraft can’t respond, leaving its ambitious mission in doubt.
Odin’s issue stems from a power amplifier failure on Earth, disrupting signals. Engineers are trying to reestablish contact, but time is running out.
AstroForge’s mission to scan asteroid 2022 EB5 is a bold experiment in low-cost space mining. At just $6.5 million, Odin is a fraction of traditional probes—but will it even survive?
If contact isn’t restored, Odin may fail to use the Moon’s gravity for its trajectory—potentially losing its shot at reaching the asteroid 4 million miles away.
Both teams are now working with NASA’s ground stations to fix these critical failures. If they can’t, two major space missions will end before they even begin.
Credit: Astroforge
These twin failures highlight the brutal unpredictability of spaceflight. Even with millions in funding, one small failure can turn a dream mission into space debris.