America’s private lunar lander, Peregrine One, met a fiery end as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere after a failed mission to the moon. The NASA contractor behind the project, Astrobotic, has announced plans to investigate the cause of the explosive rupture that led to the craft’s fuel leak and deviation from its intended course. Peregrine One was supposed to land on the lunar surface but experienced a fuel leak in space, forcing the ground team to bring it back home. The lander burned up in the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean, about 400 miles south of Fiji.
Astrobotic shared final updates and video footage of Peregrine One’s mission, which launched on January 8. Despite the mission’s failure, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton expressed optimism for future lunar lander missions, particularly the Griffin missions that will serve as scouts for NASA’s Artemis astronauts before their own moon landing in 2026. Thornton highlighted the successes of the Peregrine mission, including the activation of all payloads and the collection of valuable cosmic radiation data by Germany’s space agency, DLR.
The CEO also discussed the leading theory behind the mission’s failure, attributing it to a valve malfunction that caused a rush of helium into the oxidizer side, resulting in a catastrophic loss of propellant. Astrobotic plans to assemble an Anomaly Review Board to further investigate the incident. The company worked closely with NASA and other government authorities to ensure that the spacecraft’s re-entry would minimize the risk of debris reaching land.
Although Peregrine One carried precious cargo such as science instruments, DNA samples from US presidents, and the remains of individuals including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, it is expected that these items will be lost when the lander burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. Despite the mission’s failure, Astrobotic was able to power up science experiments and gather spaceflight data.
The issue of space junk was also highlighted in the article. With an estimated 170 million pieces of debris in orbit, including spent rocket stages and paint flakes, there is a growing concern about the potential damage to satellites and space infrastructure. Traditional gripping methods are ineffective in space, and proposed solutions like debris harpoons could unintentionally push objects in unpredictable directions. Two events, the accidental collision of two satellites in 2009 and China’s anti-satellite weapon test in 2007, have exacerbated the problem. Low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit are particularly cluttered with space debris.
In conclusion, Peregrine One’s failed lunar mission ended with a fiery re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Astrobotic plans to investigate the cause of the mission’s failure and remains optimistic about future lunar lander missions. The issue of space junk poses a threat to satellites and space infrastructure, highlighting the need for effective solutions to mitigate the problem.