Pittsburgh-based space company Astrobotic theorized Tuesday that its lunar mission was undone by a malfunction in the lander’s propulsion equipment.
Astrobotic sought to make history with the first commercial lunar landing, but a fuel leak on the spacecraft after launch scuttled any possibility of that.
The lander, dubbed Peregrine, has “no chance of a soft landing on the Moon,” Astrobotic said.
The company Tuesday blamed a faulty valve for causing a rush of high-pressure helium that ruptured a tank.
Astrobotic said that was its working hypothesis. A full report will be forthcoming.
Peregrine was launched into space on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.
Astrobotic said Peregrine successfully detached from the rocket and began its planned route to the moon before disaster struck.
Astrobotic said there is no indication the propulsion problem occurred as a result of the launch.
As for making the first commercial lunar landing in history, that dream will have to wait.
Peregrine’s goal was to deliver payloads to the moon from private entities, including Carnegie Mellon University and NASA, which awarded Astrobotic a $79.5 million contract.
Update #7 for Peregrine Mission One: pic.twitter.com/qAPcChVROO
— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) January 9, 2024
After a successful launch, Peregrine experienced several problems. An error prevented the lander from charging its batteries using solar panels, and it lost communication with mission control. The Astrobotic team was able to reorient the lander to face the sun and charge the batteries but then discovered Peregrine’s propulsion system was malfunctioning, causing a critical loss of fuel.
As of about noon Tuesday, Peregrine had enough fuel to run for 40 more hours. That amount is well under the amount needed to land safely on the moon.
The lander was scheduled to touch down on the moon Feb. 23, more than six weeks after launch. Peregrine’s lengthy route was the most fuel-efficient.
A robotic lunar lander built by a private company suffered a propellant leak on its way to the moon, upending the first US soft lunar landing attempt in five decades https://t.co/WXJm9lJx73 pic.twitter.com/GmOpUsWvBJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2024
Peregrine’s fate — and whether it will arrive at the moon at all — is unclear.
Astrobotic, which is headquartered on Pittsburgh’s North Side, said its team continues to work to find ways to extend Peregrine’s operational life.
The company said it is still gathering valuable data, which will be important for its next attempt to reach the moon with its lunar lander Griffin.
That mission is on track for a launch late this year.
