Trailblazer (satellite)
| Mission type | Technology |
|---|---|
| Operator |
US Air Force MDA |
| Mission duration | Failed to orbit |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | MMB-100 |
| Manufacturer | SpaceDev |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 3 August 2008, 03:34 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 1 |
| Launch site | Omelek |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Epoch | Planned |
Trailblazer was a technology demonstration satellite, which was to have been operated by the United States Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency. It was selected for launch under a "Jumpstart" contract, to demonstrate responsiveness, with the final payload being chosen less than a month ahead of the scheduled launch date, and was launched as the primary payload of the third Falcon 1, which failed just over two minutes after launch on 3 August 2008. Two previous Falcon 1 launches also failed to reach orbit, but the fourth succeeded although it only carried a dummy payload.
It was originally built for a cancelled MDA project, and was based on a SpaceDev MMB-100 satellite bus. It was launched from Omelek Island, at 03:34 GMT. Several other payloads were to be launched aboard the same rocket, including two CubeSats for NASA, and a space burial payload for Celestis, which would have remained attached to the rocket in low Earth orbit.