CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Peregrine lunar lander, a collaboration between Nasa and Astrobotic, encountered trouble during its first mission, casting doubts on its ability to reach the lunar surface.
The purpose of the Peregrine lander was to deliver scientific equipment to the Gruithuisen Domes region of the moon, with instruments designed to support Nasa’s Artemis program. The lander also carried instruments and equipment from various space agencies, universities, companies, and individuals, including a “lunar dream capsule” containing messages from children around the world.
Despite lifting off successfully from the Cape Canaveral space station in Florida, the spacecraft experienced difficulties about 7 hours after launch. The initial problem arose when the lander was unable to reorient its solar panels to charge its batteries. Subsequent issues, including a fuel leak and malfunctioning thrusters, have jeopardized the mission’s success.
As a result, Peregrine’s intended landing on the moon’s surface on February 23 may not be possible. If the mission is aborted, the spacecraft, along with capsules containing DNA samples and cremated remains, will remain floating in space.
Despite the setbacks, Dr. Minkwan Kim of the University of Southampton suggested that the spacecraft’s scientific instruments and fully charged battery could still provide insights and valuable data for future lunar missions. Furthermore, the failed mission should not be labeled as a complete failure, as it pushed the boundaries of lunar lander development and may lead to innovations for more frequent and sustainable lunar missions.
The current setback with the Peregrine lander highlights the high-risk nature of private-public collaborations in space exploration. While failed attempts are a possibility, such challenges provide opportunities to refine and improve future missions. With Nasa’s multiple upcoming moon missions involving private spacecraft, the lessons learned from the Peregrine mission could contribute to the success of future collaborative efforts.
