Highly anticipated flight ends in disappointment; will not be able to make a soft landing on the Moon

In a statement made by space robotics firm Astrobotic, it was reported that the Peregrine spacecraft, sent to the Moon by NASA, no longer has a chance of making a soft landing on the Moon following a problem in its propulsion system.

It was reported that the Peregrine spacecraft, which was launched yesterday by a Vulcan Centaur rocket within the framework of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, has no chance of making a soft landing on the Moon. In the statement made by space robotics firm Astrobotic, it was noted that the Peregrine spacecraft has been operating for 32 hours, stating, “Given the fuel leak, unfortunately, there is no chance of a soft landing on the Moon. However, we still have enough fuel to continue operating the vehicle as a spacecraft. The team has updated its estimates and we currently expect to run out of fuel in about 40 hours.”

The statement added that the team continues to work on finding ways to extend the operational life of Peregrine.

A PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED IN THE SPACECRAFT'S PROPULSION SYSTEM

It was previously reported that a malfunction occurred in the propulsion system during the repositioning of Peregrine toward the Sun yesterday, leading to a critical loss of propellant, and it was stated that the spacecraft might not be able to make a soft landing on the Moon.

Peregrine was planned to land on the Moon on February 23 with 20 payloads aimed at collecting data about the lunar surface. Successfully launched yesterday at 02:18 local time from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, via a Vulcan rocket, the Peregrine spacecraft marks NASA's first lunar mission since 1972.

News Source: İHA

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