The privately owned Odin spacecraft, launched by AstroForge, is now drifting somewhere in deep space with no chance of communicating with Earth. It is now about 300,000 kilometers from our planet and continues to drift away.
Ambitious mission failed
The Odin spacecraft mission was launched on February 26 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Its mission was to explore the asteroid for precious metals, as AstroForge aims to create a lucrative mining system in space. The company also hoped to become the first to conduct a commercial mission to deep space using its own vehicle.
However, problems arose immediately after separation from the rocket. The main ground station in Australia suffered a technical failure due to a power amplifier malfunction, delaying the first communication attempt. Further, the situation only worsened: Odin did not respond to commands, and its exact location remained unknown.
Repeating past mistakes
AstroForge develops technologies to extract precious metals from asteroids millions of kilometers from Earth. Its first spacecraft, launched in April 2023 to test the ability to recycle materials in orbit, also failed to meet expectations – the company lost contact with it.
Afterward, AstroForge decided to build the machine on its own, hoping to avoid the previous problems. They built Odin in just 10 months, spending $3.5 million dollars on it. Gialich stated, “We know how to build these craft. They just cost a billion fucking dollars.”
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. This is a new frontier, and we get another shot at it with Vestri. https://t.co/4TvjtK3pVn
— Matthew Gialich (@MattGialich) March 6, 2025
Despite all efforts, attempts to contact Odin continued in vain. The team worked 18 hours a day, using ultra-sensitive antennas and contacting amateur astronomers, but the signal was never caught. The spacecraft remained out of reach.
New chance: Mission Vestri
Despite the setbacks, AstroForge is not giving up on its plans. The next mission, Vestri, is to go to a near-Earth asteroid, attempting to dock with it. The vehicle is scheduled to be launched in late 2025 in conjunction with Intuitive Machines’ third mission to the Moon.
We previously reported on how AstroForge received $55 million dollars to mine space treasure.
According to astroforge.com
