2024-01-09 08:40:01
The first landing of an American craft on the Moon in more than 50 years will probably have to wait: the lander encountered an “anomaly” shortly following takeoff on Monday, losing a large amount of fuel in flight, the company said Astrobotic having developed it.
The lander took off from Florida before dawn on Monday, aboard the new Vulcan Centaur rocket from the ULA group, which brings together Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
>> Reread: The mission of the first American lander in more than 50 years is in danger
The device, named Peregrine, was powered up shortly following separation from the rocket and communication was successfully established.
But “unfortunately, an anomaly occurred,” Astrobotic explained in a statement on its solar panels.
An “improvised maneuver” was ultimately successful, recharging the ship’s battery, the company later said.
Loss of fuel
However, she added that the problem was the result of a problem with the propulsion system, causing “a critical loss” of fuel.
This image released by the company Astrobotic shows the damaged section of the exterior of the Peregrine lander. [Astrobotic Technology via AP – Keystone]During the night from Monday to Tuesday, Astrobotic indicated that Peregrine only had regarding forty hours of fuel left before the craft became “uncontrollable”.
Getting closer to Earth’s satellite
Until then, “the goal is to bring Peregrine as close to the Moon as possible,” said the operator, without specifying whether a disaster landing would be attempted.
Astrobotic had earlier published an image showing part of the exterior of the device, visibly damaged: a photo which supports the hypothesis of a propulsion problem, according to the company, which promised news later in the evening.
Peregrine was developed by Astrobotic with the support of NASA, which commissioned this company to transport scientific equipment to the Moon.
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