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Are We There Yet?

A lost lunar mission and space travel impacts on reproduction

By Brendan Byrne, Marian Summerall & Orion Boone
Published March 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM EST
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This artist's concept depicts NASA's Lunar Trailblazer in lunar orbit about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the surface of the Moon. The spacecraft weighs only 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and measures 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide when its solar panels are fully deployed. Lunar Trailblazer is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and its science investigation and mission operations are led by Caltech with the mission operations center at IPAC. Managed for NASA by Caltech, JPL also provides system engineering, mission assurance, the HVM3 instrument, as well as mission design and navigation. Lockheed Martin Space provides the spacecraft, integrates the flight system, and supports operations under contract with Caltech.
NASA/Lockheed Martin Space
/
NASA
This artist's concept depicts NASA's Lunar Trailblazer in lunar orbit about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the surface of the Moon.
The spacecraft weighs only 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and measures 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) wide when its solar panels are fully deployed. Lunar Trailblazer is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and its science investigation and mission operations are led by Caltech with the mission operations center at IPAC. Managed for NASA by Caltech, JPL also provides system engineering, mission assurance, the HVM3 instrument, as well as mission design and navigation. Lockheed Martin Space provides the spacecraft, integrates the flight system, and supports operations under contract with Caltech.

A mission to study water on the moon is lost in space.

Lunar Trailblazer went dark shortly after launch, and a new report sheds light on what went wrong.

We’ll speak with science journalist, Joe Palca, about what we know about Lunar Trailblazer and how other missions might learn from its mistakes.

Then, how does space travel affect reproduction? A group of mice, and their grandkids, are helping answer that question after a brief stay aboard the International Space Station.

We’ll speak with University of Kansas Medical Center’s Lane Christenson and Molika Sinha about the impacts of space on the reproductive system. And how their work can help people here on Earth.

Are We There Yet?
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