Private mission to the moon won't land on lunar surface after malfunction
A privately built spacecraft that launched Monday on a mission to land on the moon will not reach the lunar surface after it suffered a critical malfunction hours after liftoff.
A privately built spacecraft that launched Monday on a mission to land on the moon will not reach the lunar surface after it suffered a critical malfunction hours after liftoff.
Astrobotic Technology, the Pittsburgh-based firm that developed the Peregrine lander, said Tuesday that the spacecraft is leaking propellant, making it impossible to complete its lunar mission.
“Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon,” the company said in a statement.
The troubles started shortly after the lander launched into orbit. Despite successfully separating from its Vulcan rocket, the spacecraft sustained what Astrobotic said was most likely a propulsion failure.
The first image from the Peregrine lander, released Monday, showed ruptured layers of insulation, which Astrobotic said appeared to confirm that the problem centered around the spacecraft’s propulsion system.
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