A wave of commercial moon missions is expected to reach the lunar surface in 2026, signaling a major shift in space exploration strategy. Companies like Blue Origin,Firefly Aerospace, Intuitive Machines,

"While it was not the outcome we had hoped for, mission experiences like Lunar Trailblazer help us to learn and reduce the risk for future, low-cost small satellites to do innovative science as we prepare for a sustained human presence on the moon.

NASA hasn't given up on Lunar Trailblazer yet. More than two months have passed since that rather dire assessment, but NASA is still working to revive the orbiter — and it will keep doing so for another six weeks. "The mission team's modeling indicates ...

The Lunar Trailblazer was a small satellite with a mission to orbit the moon and map sources of water. The intent was to get solid data on potential water resources to guide future exploration. The mission was overseen by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory ...

Water ice at the Moon's south pole has become one of the most closely watched targets in modern lunar science, and China's upcoming Chang'e 7 mission is designed to take a major step toward understanding it.

In 2026, private companies like Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace and Astrobotic plan lunar landings. These missions will advance science, test technology and provide NASA with critical data for future Moon exploration and Artemis program planning.

After five months of trying to reestablish contact with the lost NASA Lunar Trailblazer, the agency has released a sad update: the mission is over. NASA launched the Lunar Trailblazer in February 2025 to orbit the moon and investigate its water. It was ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The ispace Resilience lunar lander crash on June 5, 2025 created a dark smudge surrounded by a subtle bright halo, as imaged here by NASA's Lunar ...