SPACE — The lunar lander spacecraft Peregrine has a new nickname that describes its condition; the Damned. The controversial aircraft belonging to US Astrobotic was unable to achieve its mission due to fatal damage to its power storage tank.
However, 35 hours before all its propulsion engines stopped completely, Peregrine sent another selfie photo in space. An impressive photo, of part of his body leaving his home planet behind.
The still image is like saying goodbye to Earth forever.
In a post on The Pocari capsules belong to the Japanese company Astroscale which contain messages from children around the world. Then, the piece in the top right corner is Earth.
Also read: The controversial Peregrine plane launched to the moon this afternoon, broadcast live
Peregrine was launched on Monday morning, January 8, 2024 with the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket. Takeoff went well, but the lander began leaking propellant soon after launching from the top of the rocket.
Astrobotic suspects the leak was caused by a stuck valve, which caused the oxidizer tank to rupture. The first selfie Peregrine sent Monday helped the mission team trace the problem to its propulsion system.
The leak prevented Peregrine from reaching the moon and stepping on its gray dust. Plans for landing on February 23 were dashed along with the American dream of making private business history.
Peregrine is about 310,000 kilometers from Earth, or about 80 percent of its way to the moon. Possibly, that location will also be his own cemetery.
Also read: Mexico Entrusts 5 Tiny Robots on Peregrine Plane, Will Be Deployed to the Moon
Peregrine carries 20 loads for various customers. These include five NASA science instruments through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and five tiny robots belonging to Mexico.
Controversy began to emerge a week before Peregrine was launched. Apart from scientific instruments, Peregrine apparently also carried a cargo of human remains belonging to two space burial companies: Celestis and Elysium Space.
Alysium was hired by many parties to store burial monuments on the moon. Meanwhile, Celestis carries a commemorative capsule containing human remains and the DNA of famous people in the US, including former US presidents George Washington, Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
Also Read: Navajo Nation Urges NASA to Cancel Sending Human Remains to the Moon
2024-01-11 06:05:00
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