CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – The first U.S. spacecraft in over 50 years to attempt a soft landing on the moon was met with failure due to a critical loss of propellant. The private American company Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine spacecraft, launched from Cape Canaveral, experienced technical difficulties just six hours into the flight. While engineers were able to fix the problem with the solar panels, a subsequent leak caused the spacecraft to lose the necessary rocket fuel for a moon landing.
The mission, which was the first-ever commercial flight to the moon, aimed to land on the lunar surface and deploy various payloads, including experiments and equipment from NASA. Unfortunately, the failure of the propulsion system dashed these plans and resulted in the loss of the payload, which included the remains of several “Star Trek” cast members and DNA samples from former U.S. presidents.
Despite this setback, Astrobotic remains determined to salvage the mission by getting the Peregrine spacecraft as close to the moon as possible before it loses power. The company is one of three U.S. companies, along with Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace, involved in a new private-public partnership with NASA to send five more missions to the moon in 2024. This partnership allows the companies to take the lead in spacecraft design and mission planning, with NASA acting as the customer.
While NASA acknowledges that some failures are expected in this arrangement, the loss of the Peregrine mission is significant. However, the space agency remains committed to incentivizing speed and innovation in lunar exploration. With the goal of taking shots on goal, NASA hopes to cut costs and accelerate development in its quest to return humans to the moon.
In conclusion, the failure of the Peregrine spacecraft’s propulsion system has resulted in the cancellation of the first U.S. attempt in over 50 years to achieve a safe landing on the moon. The mission’s payload, which included the remains of “Star Trek” cast members and DNA samples from former U.S. presidents, will be lost in space. Astrobotic plans to salvage the mission by bringing the spacecraft as close to the moon as possible before it loses power. This setback does not deter NASA’s commitment to its partnership with private companies and its goal of returning humans to the moon.