Introduction to AstroForge’s Mission

A privately constructed spacecraft, Odin, is currently drifting aimlessly in the vast expanse of deep space with minimal prospects of reestablishing contact with Earth. At a distance of approximately 270,000 miles (434,522 kilometers) away, Odin’s journey appears to be heading nowhere.

The Launch and Subsequent Challenges

The California-based startup AstroForge launched Odin on February 26 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Initially, the spacecraft was destined for a small asteroid, where it would conduct scans for valuable metals as part of AstroForge’s ambitious plan to mine asteroids for profit. Furthermore, AstroForge aimed to become the first company to successfully launch a commercial mission to deep space using its in-house spacecraft, a dream that began to unravel shortly after launch.

Technical Issues and Communication Failures

Following Odin’s separation from the rocket, AstroForge’s primary ground station in Australia encountered significant technical difficulties due to a malfunctioning power amplifier. This issue delayed the company’s first attempt to contact the spacecraft, as revealed in an update published on Thursday. Unfortunately, the mission faced further setbacks as multiple attempts to communicate with Odin were unsuccessful, and the spacecraft’s location remained unknown. AstroForge founder Matt Gialich expressed his concerns, stating, "I think we all know the hope is fading as we continue the mission," in a video update shared on X.

AstroForge’s Asteroid Mining Ambitions

AstroForge is dedicated to developing technologies for extracting precious metals from asteroids millions of miles away. The company launched its maiden mission in April 2023 to demonstrate its capability to refine asteroid material in orbit. However, this initial task did not go as planned, as the company struggled to establish communication with its satellite.

The Development of Odin and Future Missions

For its second mission, AstroForge decided to build its spacecraft in-house to mitigate some of the problems encountered during its first mission. As Gialich mentioned in an interview with Gizmodo last year, AstroForge built the $3.5 million spacecraft in under ten months. The company’s update quoted Gialich, "We know how to build these craft. These have been built before. They just cost a billion fucking dollars. How do we do it for a fraction of the cost?" He also emphasized the importance of taking risks, saying, "At the end of the day, like, you got to fucking show up and take a shot, right? You have to try."

Attempts to Reestablish Communication

AstroForge made extensive efforts to command Odin over 18 hours per day but saw no signs of the spacecraft receiving commands, preventing the establishment of communications. The team utilized more sensitive spectrum recorders and collaborated with additional dishes to ensure they were not missing Odin’s faint signals. However, these attempts were unsuccessful.

Outreach and Future Plans

The team reached out to observatories and amateur astronomers in an attempt to track Odin, but the spacecraft was too faint to be detected by smaller telescopes. Gialich reflected on the experience, writing on X, "Wish we would have made it all the way – But the fact that we made it to the rocket, deployed, and made contact on a spacecraft we built in 10 months is amazing." Despite the challenges faced by the Odin mission, AstroForge is moving forward with its third mission, Vestri. The Vestri spacecraft, designed to travel to a near-Earth asteroid and dock with it in space, is scheduled for launch in late 2025, aboard Intuitive Machines’ third mission to the Moon. Gialich expressed his optimism, saying, "This is a new frontier, and we got another shot at it with Vestri."