NASA has launched its latest satellite, Lunar Trailblazer, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, on a mission to pinpoint water sources on the Moon - a critical resource for future lunar missions and potential long-term bases.
Developed by Lockheed Martin’s Space division, the dishwasher-sized Lunar Trailblazer orbiter weighs approximately 440 pounds and spans about 11.5 feet when its solar panels are fully deployed. As a secondary payload on the mission—whose primary payload is a lunar lander from Intuitive Machines—the spacecraft is designed to map the distribution of water and better understand the lunar water cycle, with a particular focus on permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles.
“On Earth, beach deposits take millions of years to form. We believe that similar processes could have created significant water ice deposits on the Moon, especially in its permanently shadowed regions,” said planetary scientist Bethany Ehlmann, the mission’s principal investigator and director of Caltech’s Keck Institute for Space Studies.
During its planned two-year mission, Lunar Trailblazer will perform multiple flybys and looping orbits, eventually settling into a science orbit approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the lunar surface. The satellite’s two onboard instruments - the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) and the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) - will work in tandem. LTM will precisely map surface temperatures, while HVM3 will detect the unique spectral signature of water.
“By correlating temperature measurements with the presence of water, we can gain critical insights into how water moves on the Moon and where it might be stored,” added University of Oxford planetary scientist Tristram Warren, one of the developers of the LTM instrument.
Although the lunar surface is often perceived as barren, previous observations have hinted at the presence of water even in sunlit areas. However, experts believe that the greatest reservoirs may lie in the cold, permanently shadowed craters near the lunar poles. Such deposits could not only supply drinking water for future lunar explorers but also be processed into oxygen and hydrogen fuel for rockets.
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer promises to deliver the most detailed three-dimensional maps of lunar water to date, potentially rewriting our understanding of the Moon’s history - and paving the way for sustainable exploration beyond Earth.
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's Roscosmos space agency said.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after a nine-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS), landing in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on Tuesday following prolonged delays due to technical failures on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally heading back to Earth after spending nine unexpected months aboard the ISS due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner. Their long-awaited return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon caps a mission filled with delays, challenges, and global attention.
A SpaceX capsule has delivered four astronauts to the ISS for NASA’s latest crew rotation, allowing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return after nine months stranded due to a faulty Boeing Starliner capsule. Their scheduled departure on Wednesday has drawn political attention.
Colombia's president has suspended a ceasefire with a FARC offshoot after efforts to extend the truce failed, though peace talks remain on track.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
OpenAI has unveiled a new option called Flex processing, an API service designed to provide more affordable AI model usage in exchange for slower response times and occasional resource unavailability.
A rare red meat allergy known as alpha-gal syndrome is drawing new attention as researchers link it not only to the lone star tick but also to other U.S. tick species, raising concerns about growing risks and underdiagnosis.
Scientists using the James Webb Telescope have detected potential biosignatures, gases linked to life, on exoplanet K2-18 b, marking a major step in the search for extraterrestrial life. While not confirmed, the findings offer a strong "maybe".
China is set to embed artificial intelligence (AI) into its entire education system from primary to higher education as part of a national effort to modernize learning, boost innovation, and build a skilled, future-ready workforce.
A former Meta executive, Sarah Wynn-Williams, testified before U.S. senators on Wednesday, alleging that the company compromised national security to build a lucrative business in China.
Colombia's president has suspended a ceasefire with a FARC offshoot after efforts to extend the truce failed, though peace talks remain on track.
A mob attack on an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi has left one man dead, highlighting ongoing persecution of the minority group.
A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison for protesting the war in Ukraine using poetry and graffiti.
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan has called for closer military coordination with Tokyo, framing the alliance as crucial amid rising regional tensions and ongoing trade disputes.
Students in Serbia have rallied outside a police station as Belgrade University’s rector is questioned over support for anti-government protests.
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