CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A privately built lunar lander is set to embark on an historic mission to become the first commercial spacecraft to successfully touch down on the moon. Developed by Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic, the “Peregrine” lander is scheduled to launch into space on Monday at 2:18 a.m. ET. Lift-off will take place atop the United Launch Alliance’s newly designed Vulcan Centaur rocket. NASA has reported that there is currently an 85% chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch.
The Peregrine mission, if successful, could achieve several firsts in the field. It will mark the debut launch of the next-generation Vulcan Centaur booster and, if Astrobotic achieves a controlled landing, it will become the first private company to accomplish this feat on the moon. This touchdown would be a significant milestone for the emerging commercial space industry, allowing access to the cosmos for more private enterprises rather than just governments and militaries. Currently, only four countries — the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, and India — have successfully landed on the moon, with no commercial company having done so yet.
Although the moon mission is privately funded, it is being sponsored by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The program is an integral part of NASA’s initiative to return astronauts to the moon and enables the agency to award contracts to private firms for lunar surface transportation. Joel Kearns, a deputy associate administrator with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, believes that partnering with commercial providers will allow NASA to carry out more frequent and cost-effective missions to the moon.
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander will carry five instruments provided by NASA to the moon, including radiation environment measuring gauges and spectrometers to study material abundance. In addition to the scientific equipment, the mission will also carry payloads for two companies, Elysium Space and Celestis, which offer “space burials” by transporting cremated remains into orbit or to the moon.
The involvement of Astrobotic with Celestis and Elysium Space has sparked controversy. Buu Nygren, president of the Navajo Nation, expressed concerns in a letter to NASA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, calling the idea of leaving human remains on the moon a desecration of a sacred celestial body in many Indigenous cultures. John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic, expressed disappointment at the late raising of concerns and stated the company’s commitment to finding a resolution with the Navajo Nation.
If the Peregrine mission proceeds as planned, the lander will attempt to touch down on the moon on February 23. The designated landing site, known as Sinus Viscositatis, holds ancient lava flows. In a pre-launch briefing, Thornton emphasized the significance of the mission for the United States’ commercial space industry and the city of Pittsburgh. He believes that this mission represents a new era of space technology and innovation, demonstrating that Pittsburgh, which once relied on steel production, can achieve anything.
The Peregrine mission holds the potential to make history as the first successful commercial moon landing, pioneering a path for increased private sector participation in space exploration. The launch is scheduled to occur on Monday, with the moon landing targeted for February 23.