Written by Jonathan AmosScience Reporter
The company behind the latest US soft-landing mission on the moon is struggling to save the project.
Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic says its Peregrine spacecraft has a faulty propulsion system that, unless fixed, will prevent a lunar landing.
This problem made it difficult for the vehicle to point its solar panels toward the sun to generate electricity.
Astrobotic is already talking about changing its mission goals.
The 1.2-ton lander was launched early Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Vulcan rocket.
This mission aims to become the first American mission in half a century to make a controlled landing on the moon, and it is also the first commercial effort ever to do so.
NASA has purchased capacity on board the lander for five instruments to study the lunar surface environment before sending astronauts there later this decade.
AstroboticPeregrine's problems arose shortly after communications were established with ground controllers, after its launch from the summit of Vulcan.
Engineers noticed that the spacecraft was struggling to maintain a stable sun lock, meaning its solar cells were not receiving a constant source of sunlight to recharge the onboard battery.
Power levels have been reported to reach operationally low levels.
Astrobotic engineers eventually identified the root cause as a propulsion system malfunction.
Although they were able to successfully redirect the spacecraft and charge the battery, it was clear, the company said, that Peregrine was losing propellant.
“The team is working to try to stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can collect,” a statement said.
“We are currently evaluating alternative mission profiles that may be possible at this time.”
NASAAstrobotic is the first of three U.S. companies to send a lander to the moon this year under a new public-private partnership with NASA.
The agency is purchasing transportation services from the Pittsburgh company and two other businesses – Intuitive Machines and Firefly. Together, the trio has planned six missions to the moon's surface in 2024.
All three US companies deal with NASA as a “client,” but the agency is “not responsible” for their projects. The same companies designed the spacecraft and are responsible for mission progress.
NASA believes this arrangement will provide greater innovation and reduce costs over time. The agency says it is prepared for some missions to stop operating.
Speaking to the BBC last month, deputy director Pam Milroy said: “What we have learned from our commercial partners is that if we have a high enough cadence, we can relax some of the requirements that make it very expensive and risky.” Appetite. If they fail, the next person will learn and succeed.”
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