OAN's Elizabeth Bolbelding
10:33am – Tuesday, January 9, 2024
The United States' first attempt to land on the moon in more than 50 years appeared to have been canceled after a private company's spacecraft suffered a “significant” fuel leak shortly after liftoff.
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On Monday, the Peregrine lunar module, built by Astrobotic, launched on a Vulcan rocket 2:18 a.m. ET from United Launch Alliance, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
About an hour after liftoff, Peregrine separated from the rocket and headed toward the moon.The spacecraft was scheduled to arrive at the moon on February 23rd.rd. This day was supposed to be the first US mission to land on the soft moon in more than 50 years.
However, shortly after takeoff, Astrobotic reported that the lunar lander was experiencing a “propulsion anomaly” that prevented it from directing its solar panels toward the sun, which would have allowed it to gather the energy it needed to operate. did. It was later discovered that there was a fuel leak.
Just before accessing “''Known communication failure period'' Astrobotic's crew declared that they had designed and executed a makeshift maneuver that pointed Peregrine's solar panels toward the sun to collect sunlight.
Although this helped charge the battery, it may not have been enough to enable a moon landing.
“Unfortunately, a failure within the propulsion system appears to be causing significant loss of propellant,” Astrobotic wrote in the article. statement on the company's website. “While the team is working to stabilize this loss, given the circumstances we have prioritized making the most of the science and data we can collect. We are currently evaluating the feasibility of the mission profile.”
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASAAccording to Astrobotic, the 20 payloads carried by the lunar module include equipment from seven different countries and 16 commercial customers. NASA has approved Astrobotic to build a commercial lunar lander that NASA will use to launch instruments into space.
The five NASA instruments onboard Peregrine include instruments to “study the lunar exosphere, hydrogen levels in the lunar soil, and radiation monitoring,” according to NASA.
“NASA's instruments onboard Peregrine will help NASA prepare for the Artemis mission, which will enable a sustained human presence on the moon,” Astrobotic said.
“We're thrilled to be working with NASA on this mission,” said Joel Kearns, deputy assistant administrator for exploration at NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. statement About Hayabusa.
“Each success and setback is an opportunity to learn and grow, and we will use these lessons to advance our efforts to advance lunar science, exploration, and commercial development,” Kearns said.
If Astrobotic's lunar module fails to reach the moon, another commercial company will have the opportunity to reach the moon. The Nova-C lunar lander, developed by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, is scheduled to launch next month and will also carry commercial cargo and five NASA payloads. It plans to attempt to reach near the moon's south pole.
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