“Unlocking the Moon’s Secrets: How Lunar Trailblazer Will Revolutionize Our Understanding of Lunar Water”

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At the beginning of next year, a rocket is set to launch from Florida, destined for the moon. This rocket will transport a spacecraft known as Lunar Trailblazer, aimed at orbiting the moon to locate water. Our colleague Joe Palca has been conversing for years with the scientist leading this mission, and Joe has a preview.

JOE PALCA: The moon is primarily a rather arid environment. However, around 14 years ago, multiple groups of scientists uncovered indications that, indeed, there was some water present.

BETHANY EHLMANN: When we discuss water on the moon, we aren’t referring to lakes, oceans, or any accessible body of water that one could jump into or even a puddle for splashing.

PALCA: Bethany Ehlmann serves as a professor of planetary science at Caltech. She acts as the principal investigator for Lunar Trailblazer.

EHLMANN: We’re referring to water in its solid state, in the form of ice. We may also be considering minor quantities of water as gas or vapor. Yet, fundamentally, we are discussing a form of water that hardly crosses our minds, which is water bound to minerals.

PALCA: Distinct water molecules linked to the minerals in rocks. While it orbits the moon, Lunar Trailblazer is equipped with tools that should assist scientists in determining the nature of the water and map locations where it may be found. There’s also a chance that the instruments aboard Lunar Trailblazer might indicate that there’s less water on the moon than scientists currently presume. However, this has not deterred space mining entrepreneurs, who envision riches from lunar water – using it to sustain future moon explorers.

EHLMANN: Occasionally, I’ll enter a room and mention Lunar Trailblazer – we’re going to establish the amount of water on the moon and its locations. At times, I encounter individuals who assert, oh, we know there’s water at the moon’s poles, and here’s how I’m planning to extract it. To which I respond, well, that’s intriguing. I’m not certain there’s water there, but go ahead (laughter).

PALCA: Constructing any spacecraft is challenging and costly. It requires various specialized equipment, such as thrusters, instruments, and solar panels. Nevertheless, these are not the primary factors driving up the costs of space missions.

EHLMANN: The largest portion of expenses in any spacecraft mission is infinitely the labor of the professionals involved. We don’t transport the money into space. Each dollar allocated to a spacecraft mission is spent right here on Earth.

PALCA: In the realm of space missions, Lunar Trailblazer is quite economical. Its budget falls in the tens of millions of dollars. In comparison, NASA’s leading moon mission, Artemis, has expenses in the tens of billions of dollars. However, part of NASA’s strategy to keep Lunar Trailblazer economical was to be strict about adhering to the budget. So, 2 1/2 years ago, when Ehlmann discovered that the project was surpassing its budget by several million dollars, her anxiety skyrocketed.

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EHLMANN: It’s a little past 4 o’clock in the morning, and it’s my 14th or 15th consecutive day waking up sometime between 3:30 and 4:30, wide awake, with Lunar Trailblazer occupying my thoughts.

PALCA: Ultimately, NASA located additional funds to offset the shortfalls. Since we began our conversation two years ago, Ehlmann has shared various issues that mission engineers have contended with – challenges regarding the spacecraft’s electronics, complications arising from components failing during vibration stress tests, and difficulties with its primary engine. However, NASA now reports that all hardware is functioning as intended, and Lunar Trailblazer is set to journey to the moon and explore the type of water that truly exists there.

For NPR News, I’m Joe Palca.

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