In a recent update on January 10, Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based space exploration company, confirmed the unfortunate news that its Peregrine lander has “no chance” of executing a soft landing on the Moon. The setback occurred only a few hours after the Peregrine Mission One (PM1) lifted off on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket from Florida on January 8.
The mission’s troubles became apparent when the Peregrine’s orientation was not aligned with the Sun to charge its batteries. Upon investigation, the mission team identified a critical propellant leakage issue, leading to a loss of fuel vital for the soft landing. The root cause was later determined to be a rupture in the oxidizer tanks of the Peregrine lander.
Astrobotic expressed its disappointment in an official statement, stating, “Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the Moon.” Despite this setback, the company announced its commitment to continue operating the lander as a spacecraft, utilizing the remaining propellant.
The Peregrine lander, carrying a total of 20 payloads, including instruments from NASA designed to measure water molecules and collect data on lunar dynamics, was expected to land on the Moon’s near side on February 23. This mission failure marks a significant setback, as it was the first lunar launch from the United States since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission.
Astrobotic is actively working on payload and spacecraft tests and checkouts while maintaining a stable operating mode. The company aims to continue receiving valuable data to enhance spaceflight operations for components and software related to future lunar lander missions.
Despite the challenges faced by the Peregrine Mission, the space exploration community anticipates the upcoming Intuitive Machines’s Nova mission, the next endeavor under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), scheduled for launch in mid-February.
