Published1 hour ago
The US company that was hoping to land on the Moon will bring its mission home to destruction in the coming hours.
Astrobotic says its Peregrine spacecraft will be directed to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up.
The lander suffered a major propellant leak shortly after launching from Florida on its Vulcan rocket last week.
Although engineers were able to stabilise the situation, the loss of oxidiser meant a safe touch-down on the lunar surface could never be attempted.
Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic has decided to dispose of the craft, rather let it wander aimlessly through space, posing a collision hazard.
The company hasn’t indicated precisely where and when Peregrine will come down, but independent analysis of its trajectory suggests the re-entry will occur over the Pacific Ocean, somewhere east of Australia.
Astrobotic’s goal had been to deliver five US space agency (Nasa) instruments to the Moon’s surface, to study the local environment ahead of the return of astronauts later this decade.
Had the Peregrine craft been able to land successfully, it would have become the first American mission in half a century to do so, and the first ever private venture to achieve the feat.
Only government agencies from the US, the Soviet Union, China and India have managed controlled lunar landings to date.
But Astrobotic can console itself with what it
The post Peregrine lander: US Moon mission on course for fiery destruction appeared first on EnviroLink Network.