9th January: Peregrine Moon Lander faces major challenges
Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine Moon Lander faces significant challenges following its launch from Cape Canaveral yesterday. The mission was the United States' first attempt at a moon landing since 1972.
Shortly after launch, the lander encountered issues in maintaining a stable orientation towards the sun, crucial for charging its batteries through its solar panels. The root cause was identified as a propulsion system anomaly, leading to a critical loss of propellant. This loss hinders the lander's ability to perform a soft landing on the Moon. Despite reorienting the solar array, the mission's success remains in doubt due to the propellant issue.
The lander was carrying 20 payloads, including five for NASA, as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative to advance lunar exploration. NASA views the challenges as learning opportunities for future lunar exploration.
Astrobotic plans a second moon landing attempt with a larger lander, Griffin, in collaboration with SpaceX, indicating continued efforts in lunar exploration despite the setbacks.
I'm always eager to hear from you, so please feel free to leave your comments! Your feedback is much appreciated.
Σχόλια