Time is running out for Peregrine One! NASA-backed spacecraft with JFK’s DNA will survive just 40 HOURS – as team behind it says the aim now is to get ‘as close to the moon as possible’
The first U.S. moon landing attempt in 50 years could be over before it even begins.
Astrobotic, which launched the first private moon mission yesterday, says the survival of the Peregrine lander can now be measured in hours.
This means that a landing on the moon, which was planned for February 23, is now impossible.
Due to a fuel leak in the propulsion system, the lander will fall into an uncontrollable tumble and lose power within 40 hours.
“Right now the goal is to get Peregrine as close to the moon as possible before it loses the ability to maintain its position toward the sun and subsequently loses power,” Astrobotic said.
A photo of Peregrine shows insulation disruption, the first visual sign of a critical fuel leak
At 02:16 GMT today, Astrobotic announced that the Peregrine lander had about 40 hours of fuel left to get as close to the moon as possible
The Peregrine lander was supposed to make the trip to the moon and enter lunar orbit, but it now appears that it will run out of fuel long before a landing attempt would be possible.
Problems arose shortly after the spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 7:18 a.m. GMT yesterday.
The 1.2-ton device entered orbit aboard a new United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket.
While the lander successfully separated from the rocket, Astrobotic soon revealed that the spacecraft was having difficulty keeping its solar panels pointed at the sun.
After being offline for a short period, the lander was found to have suffered a propulsion system failure, leading to a serious loss of propellant.
The force of the leak was enough to push the Peregrine lander into a spin, requiring even more fuel to keep it pointed at the sun.
Peregrine (pictured) was supposed to attempt to land on the moon’s surface in February, but that will now be impossible
Astrobotic, the company behind the mission, says the goal now is to get the lander (pictured) as close to the moon as possible before it loses power
At current fuel consumption, Astrobotic says the craft has enough fuel to keep the solar panels aligned for less than two days.
When fuel runs out, Peregrine’s solar panels fall into darkness and the batteries quickly run out.
In a statement, the company said the new goal was to focus on “maximizing the science and data we can capture.”
Peregrine One will never land on the moon, but will carry its payload of five NASA scientific instruments as long as the craft has power.
This shipment also includes the DNA of former US President John F. Kennedy and a single strand of hair from science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.
The lander also contains the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, in addition to the ashes of about 60 other people.
Peregrine One is just the first of a new wave of private moon projects funded by NASA before 2024.
Under the space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, NASA will pay $2.6 billion in contracts for private companies to transport science and technology projects to the moon’s surface.
Astrobotic received $108 million (£85 million) to transport instruments for NASA.
The agency has also purchased transportation services from two other private companies, Intuitive Machines and Firefly.
Together, these three companies have six missions to the lunar surface planned for 2024.
Commenting on the loss of Peregrine One, Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said: “Every success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow.
“We will use this lesson to advance our efforts to advance lunar science, exploration and commercial development.”
The 1.2-ton lander carries $108 million worth of NASA instruments, a hair sample of US President John F Kennedy and the ashes (pictured) of many other people
This launch from Cape Canaveral (pictured) is just the first of six commercial ventures to the moon that NASA has planned for this year
The commercial ventures to the lunar surface are part of the largest U.S. effort to reach the moon in 50 years.
It appears that NASA’s Artemis program will have American astronauts walking on the moon within the next few years.
However, the agency recently pledged that an international astronaut will join the Americans on the moon before the end of this decade.
NASA will send a team of astronauts into orbit around the moon before returning to Earth, with a launch possibly later this year.
Private companies are expected to provide scientific observations and transportation services in preparation for these missions.