NASA's Lunar Trailblazer, a small satellite designed to map water on the Moon, lost contact with ground control just hours after its successful deployment aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Mission operators detected power system issues before communication was lost.

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer hitched a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9, successfully deploying into space. But soon after, the mission hit a snag — engineers discovered power system issues that led to a loss of communication.

Feb. 26, NASA's Lunar Trailblazer will help resolve an enduring mystery: Where is the moon's water? After sharing a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Intuitive Machines' IM-2 launch—part of NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative—the small satellite will take several months to arrive in lunar orbit.