{"id":10208,"date":"2024-01-08T20:03:28","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T12:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/peregrine-lander-suffers-propulsion-anomaly-moon-landing-seemingly-unlikely\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T20:03:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T12:03:28","slug":"peregrine-lander-suffers-propulsion-anomaly-moon-landing-seemingly-unlikely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/peregrine-lander-suffers-propulsion-anomaly-moon-landing-seemingly-unlikely\/","title":{"rendered":"Peregrine lander suffers propulsion \u2018anomaly,\u2019 Moon landing seemingly unlikely"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_64289\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64289\" style=\"width: 876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64289\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231031-Peregrine-arrives-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"876\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231031-Peregrine-arrives-small.jpg 876w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231031-Peregrine-arrives-small-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231031-Peregrine-arrives-small-678x495.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231031-Peregrine-arrives-small-768x561.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 876px) 100vw, 876px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-64289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine lunar lander in the clean room at Astrotech in Titusville, Florida. The spacecraft was the main payload onboard the first launch of ULA\u2019s Vulcan rocket. Image: ULA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In situation seemly pulled from a science fiction movie, a robotic mission to the Moon swung from the brink of failure to having renewed hope before the pendulum swung back again with a successful lunar landing for Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine spacecraft now unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>The first commercially-built lunar lander from the U.S. ran into trouble just hours after launching on board United Launch Alliance\u2019s (ULA) inaugural Vulcan rocket.<\/p>\n<p>Soon after Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine spacecraft was delivered to a trans-lunar injection orbit on Monday morning, the company said an \u201canomaly\u201d occurred that prevented it from orienting the spacecraft\u2019s solar panels towards the Sun to begin drawing the necessary power to operate.<\/p>\n<p>Astrobotic confirmed it was able to establish connection with the lander a few minutes after it started flying solo via NASA\u2019s Deep Space Network (DSN). But the loss of control meant the craft\u2019s batteries were being drained.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Excellent news!<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/astrobotic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">@astrobotic<\/a>\u2019s confirms Acquisition of Signal of the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Peregrine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">#Peregrine<\/a> lunar lander through <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CanberraDSN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">@CanberraDSN<\/a>\u2019s antennas <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/DSS35?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">#DSS35<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/DSS36?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">#DSS36<\/a> \ud83d\udce1\ud83d\udce1<br \/>Great job team! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vgyrbruQYR\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/vgyrbruQYR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; CanberraDSN \ud83d\udce1 (@CanberraDSN) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CanberraDSN\/status\/1744272761386848754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow\">January 8, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Heading into a \u201cknown period of communication outage, the team developed and executed an improvised maneuver to reorient the solar panels toward the Sun.\u201d And by a stroke of good fortune, the attempt worked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have successfully re-established communications with Peregrine after the known communication blackout. The team\u2019s improvised maneuver was successful in reorienting Peregrine\u2019s solar array towards the Sun,\u201d the company said in a statement. \u201cWe are now charging the battery. The Mission Anomaly Board continues to evaluate the data we\u2019re receiving and is assessing the status of what we believe to be the root of the anomaly: a failure within the propulsion system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sense of optimism proved to be short lived however. Less than an hour later, another update from the company stated that the propulsion system failure had led to \u201ca critical loss of propellant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture,\u201d Astrobotic said in a statement. \u201cWe are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The statement suggests that a Moon landing attempt is more than likely off the table for this lander.<\/p>\n<h4>First shot on goal a miss?<\/h4>\n<p>One entity eagerly watching to see how things pans out with this robotic lander is NASA. The agency selected Astrobotic as one of the original nine companies that would develop their own privately-funded lunar landers for which NASA would become just one of several customers. The Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program has a number of missions lined up in then next several years.<\/p>\n<p>The agency has five payloads onboard the Peregrine lunar lander, most of which were designed to conduct a suite of observations during the planned eight- to ten-day mission on the lunar surface.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow,\u201d said Joel Kearns, the deputy associate administrator for Exploration at NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), in a statement. \u201cWe will use this lesson to propel our efforts to advance science, exploration, and commercial development of the Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1744424298658292166&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2024%2F01%2F08%2Fperegrine-lander-suffers-propulsion-anomaly-moon-landing-seemingly-unlikely%2F&amp;sessionId=37bfb1275afb29136fd35cb458157c030a7b7701&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1744424298658292166\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782461833287529777=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">After a successful launch this morning, Astrobotic is assessing a propulsion issue with its lunar lander. Check @Astrobotic for updates.<\/p>\n<p>Each mission is an opportunity to learn. We&#8217;re proud to work with our partners to advance exploration of the Moon. https:\/\/t.co\/NARUSW6RiA<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NASA (@NASA) January 8, 2024<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In the run-up to this launch, many have echoed the sentiment of former associate administrator the SMD, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, who described the CLPS program as taking shots on goal and impressing upon the need for multiple trials with high ambitions in the hopes of spurring on robotic lunar exploration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe more shots, the more opportunities you get to score,\u201d said Chris Culbert, the CLPS program manager at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center on the Thursday before launch. \u201cToday, we don\u2019t know how many of these early tests will be successful, but I can tell you these American companies are technically rigorous, they\u2019re very business savvy, they\u2019re resourceful and driven.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Astrobotic is already hard at work on its sequel lander, named Griffin, which will carry the highly touted Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the Moon\u2019s South Pole to hunt for ice.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_51061\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51061\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-51061\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/griffin_viper1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/griffin_viper1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/griffin_viper1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/griffin_viper1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/griffin_viper1-678x381.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-51061\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Artist\u2019s concept of Astrobotic\u2019s Griffin lander with NASA\u2019s VIPER rover. Credit: Astrobotic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Prior to Peregrine\u2019s launch, Dan Hendrickson, Astrobotic\u2019s vice president of business development, told Spaceflight Now back in October that whatever the outcome of this first mission, they will learn everything they can.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there are any issues along the way, we will learn from them and we will proceed. This is a program that is built for the long term. We\u2019re here to stay and we\u2019re excited to follow up with multiple missions in the future,\u201d Hendrickson said. \u201cEvery flight is a learning opportunity, success or failure, it doesn\u2019t matter. And we certainly plan to learn from the mission and improve our future missions with all the data and the experience that we gain.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Next shots coming up<\/h4>\n<p>If in fact it turns out that the Peregrine mission isn\u2019t able to be recovered, the next so-called shot on goal is poised to launch in about a month. SpaceX is preparing to launch the first lander for Houston-based Intuitive Machines, which will head to the Moon\u2019s South Pole.<\/p>\n<p>The Nova-C lander also carries a suite of NASA CLPS payloads and it will attempt its lunar landing on Feb. 22 or earlier after launching.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_64211\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64211\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64211\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/53251490051_22760974f9_c.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/53251490051_22760974f9_c.jpg 800w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/53251490051_22760974f9_c-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/53251490051_22760974f9_c-678x381.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/53251490051_22760974f9_c-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-64211\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The completed Nova-C lander for the IM-1 mission is photographed in mid-October at Intuitive Machines\u2019 facilities in Houston, Texas, ahead of it being shipped to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Image: Intuitive Machines<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Some of the science that was likely lost on the Peregrine Mission One flight will also get another attempt. During a science briefing on Thursday, Culbert noted that there are duplicates on future lander missions, a redundancy to help take into account the risky nature of these initial commercial lunar ventures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Astrobotic\u2019s Peregrine lunar lander in the clean room at Astrotech in Titusville, Florida. The spacecraft was the main payload onboard the first launch of ULA\u2019s Vulcan rocket. Image: ULA In situation seemly pulled from a science fiction movie, a robotic mission to the Moon swung from the brink of failure to having renewed hope before [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[697,322,1469],"class_list":["post-10208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-astrobotic","tag-clps","tag-peregrine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10208"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10208\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}