TransOrbital_® signed a contract in Rome, Italy with International Space Company Kosmotras, a Russian launch services provider. Introduced to TransOrbital by Thiokol Propulsion, an Alcoa subsidiary, and the marketing agent in the West, ICS Kosmotras will launch TransOrbital’s 2001 TrailBlazer_TM lunar satellite in 2001-2002. Using the Dnepr-1 LV, ICS Kosmotras will launch the satellite as part of a multiple-spacecraft payload onboard of Kosmotras’ “Dnepr-1 LV” commercial launch vehicle. This rocket is a converted SS-18 silo-launched ICBM, active since 1975, with over 159 flights and only 4 launches that were not complete successes, all early in the program. To date, two commercial “Dnepr” orbital launches have been made, both successful. The launch will be from the Baikonur launch complex in Kazakhstan, and will place the spacecraft into a circular orbit at 650 km altitude and 65 degrees inclination. Separation will occur at least a half hour prior to the ascending node - when TrailBlazer_TM must fire its TLI stage - to allow the rocket’s third state, with the remaining payloads, time to clear the vicinity. During this time, Mission Control will check out the spacecraft and determine its exact orbit. TrailBlazer will use a detachable high-thrust solid motor to perform a single Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) burn to reach a lunar transfer orbit. Once at the moon, after a cruise of about 4 days, the spacecraft will be placed into an elliptical polar orbit of 24-hour duration and 150 km periselene. After checkout and orbit verification this will be lowered to 50 km periselene and 18 hours duration. The on-board monopropellant thruster accomplishes all lunar orbital maneuvering and maintenance. Eventually, 2001 TrailBlazer_TM will be guided into the moon.

Established in 1998, TransOrbital_{® ( http://www.transorbital.net) intends to win the new "Race to the Moon" by being the first company to orbit the Moon with a completely commercial spacecraft, 2001 TrailBlazerTM. The spacecraft's prime mission is to return HDTV video and other multi-media content from lunar orbit to market as commercial products. The spacecraft will also deliver a time capsule to the moon, carrying small cargo items such as personal memorabilia and business cards.}

The 2001 TrailBlazer_tm Project is a for-profit space venture.  

"We want to do for the Moon what Jacques Cousteau did for marine exploration- to go, look, sell the images and repeat it again and again."

Point of Contact:
TransOrbital may be reached at:
Tel: 858-455-5900 or 703-960-5953
Fax: 858-455-5979 or 603-619-5538
E-mail: at dlaurie@transorbital.net.
Further information may be found at the TransOrbital website http://www.transorbital.net. 

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