{"id":10200,"date":"2024-01-20T00:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T16:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/astrobotics-peregrine-lunar-lander-ends-mission-in-fiery-reentry\/"},"modified":"2024-01-20T00:13:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T16:13:00","slug":"astrobotics-peregrine-lunar-lander-ends-mission-in-fiery-reentry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/astrobotics-peregrine-lunar-lander-ends-mission-in-fiery-reentry\/","title":{"rendered":"Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine lunar lander ends mission in fiery reentry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine lunar lander captured by a camera mounted onboard the lander on its second day in space. Image: Astrobotic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first U.S. lander bound for the Moon since 1972 burned up in Earth\u2019s atmosphere on Thursday. The unfortunate ending for Astrobotic\u2019s spacecraft was deemed the most responsible choice given its hopes of reaching the Moon were dashed less than a day after it launched.<\/p>\n

The Peregrine lunar lander is believed to have reentered Earth\u2019s atmosphere on Thursday, Jan. 18, according to Astrobotic. The company has been providing continuous insights into the mission, giving the public the opportunity to see the challenges of spaceflight with ongoing detail.<\/p>\n

Astrobotic said any debris from the lander was expected to splash down in the South Pacific Ocean around 4:04 p.m. EST (2104 UTC) around longitude of 176.594 degrees West and a latitude of 23.087 degrees South, which is south of Fiji. The company said it lost telemetry from the spacecraft as expected at 3:50 p.m. EST (2050 UTC).<\/p>\n

The reentry marked the end of the mission that launched on Jan. 8 onboard the first flight of United Launch Alliance\u2019s (ULA) Vulcan rocket.<\/p>\n

This was the first lander that launched as part of NASA\u2019s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The agency paid $108 million to secure spots for five of its payloads among a total of 20 onboard the lander.<\/p>\n

What went wrong?<\/h4>\n

Hours after its launch, the Peregrine lander encountered an issue with its propulsion system. The day after it began its journey, Astrobotic said its preliminary determination was \u201cthat a valve between the helium pressurant and the oxidizer failed to reseal after actuation during initialization.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis led to a rush of high-pressure helium that spiked the pressure in the oxidizer tank beyond its operating limit and subsequently ruptured the tank,\u201d Astrobotic said in a statement. \u201cWhile this is a working theory, a full analysis report will be produced by a formal review board made up of industry experts after the mission is complete.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a subsequent update, Astrobotic noted that ULA\u2019s Vulcan rocket did its job and \u201cinserted Peregrine into the planned translunar trajectory without issue.\u201d<\/p>\n