NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, a small satellite mission, is set to launch later this month and will embark on a four-to-seven-month journey to the Moon. The spacecraft, weighing just 440 pounds, will use gravity from the Sun, Earth, and Moon to guide its trajectory during the low-energy transfer phase.
Upon arrival, Lunar Trailblazer will map the lunar surface in great detail using two state-of-the-art science instruments: the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) infrared spectrometer and the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) infrared multispectral imager. These instruments will help determine the amount of water on the lunar surface, its form, and how it changes over time.
The mission’s navigation team has planned a trajectory that takes advantage of gravity to capture the spacecraft into lunar orbit with minimal propulsion needs. This approach will allow Lunar Trailblazer to map the Moon’s permanently shadowed craters at the South Pole, which harbor cold traps that could hold significant resources for future lunar explorers.
Lunar Trailblazer is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and has been selected from NASA’s SIMPLEx program. The mission will be operated by Caltech, with a team of experienced engineers, science team members, and local students working together to achieve its groundbreaking science goals.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/small-satellite-missions/lunar-trailblazer/how-nasas-lunar-trailblazer-will-make-a-looping-voyage-to-the-moon