In the latest update of Astrobotic regarding its Peregrine Moon Lander, the spacecraft is heading home, and this was after its mission was cut short due to the massive issues it faced. However, it is not expected to make it to the ground in one piece, as the team said that they expect the spacecraft to return in blazing glory, burning up on the Earth's atmosphere as it re-enters.
As the spacecraft looks to make its way back to the planet, its future will be up for discussion by Astrobotic and NASA later this week.
Peregrine Moon Lander to Burn on Earth's Atmosphere
Astroobotic
The latest update of Astrobotic earlier today as shared on X talked about the upcoming return of the Peregrine moon lander spacecraft, expected to burn up on the Earth's atmosphere as it re-enters. According to their update on this re-entry, the spacecraft will "likely burn up" but are currently considering options for when it arrives.
Astrobotic also addressed the initial challenges it faced with the Peregrine when it first launched, centering on the propellant leak that first manifested last January 8. This "critical loss of propellant" led to the failure of its propulsion system that it needed to see a successful soft landing on the lunar surface.
However, the team also ruled out the possibility of the said landing days ago.
Nevertheless, Peregrine was able to make it to the lunar distance, covering as much as 242,000 miles from the Earth over the weekend.
Despite reaching the lunar distance, Peregrine did not meet the Moon because of where it is currently in its orbit.
According to Engadget, Astrobotic would host a press conference with NASA this Thursday, January 18 at 12 PM ET to further discuss the next steps for its mission. For now, the company predicts a re-entry burn once Peregrine reaches the Earth's atmosphere.
The Supposed Peregrine Mission One
In early 2023, Astrobotic was optimistic about its mission to launch a historic return to the Moon, centering on the company's Peregrine lunar lander, planning its mission by 2024. It was also revealed that the company had already fully assembled and prepared the Peregrine for its upcoming mission during this time but saw initial delays due to ULA's Vulcan debut.
It has worked closely with NASA, centering on the agency's vision with the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program that looks into the scientific exploration of the Moon. Astrobotic previously claimed that it is eyeing a January 25 touchdown on the lunar surface, and it carries the payload of NASA, focusing on the instruments that will help study the Moon.
However, this supposed Peregrine Mission One was aborted by the company after the issues it faced when the spacecraft leaked propellant after it launched earlier this year. Now, the team is projecting that it will return to the planet but is not promising a touchdown to its home base, claiming that it will burn during its re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere, its final resting place.
