TransOrbital

TransOrbital is a California-based company which became the first private company granted permission by the U.S. government to explore, photograph, and land on the moon.[1][2] The company has been covered in over 2,000 news articles worldwide, and announced a sponsorship agreement with Hewlett-Packard in 2003. The company planned to launch the TrailBlazer lunar orbiter, which was proposed as the first privately-financed science mission to the Moon.

TransOrbital launched a test spacecraft into orbit in 2002 aboard a Dnepr launch vehicle. The satellite is a 420 kg (930 lb) test article that orbits the earth every 97 minutes.[3]

References
  1. "National Geographic News". National Geographic. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  2. "BBC: Moon opens for business". BBC News. September 10, 2002. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  3. "Orbital Elements for Trailblazer Satellite". Heavens Above Orbit Tracking. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
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