The problem was reported about seven hours after Monday’s predawn liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket provided the lift for Astrobotic’s lander, named Peregrine, putting it on a long, roundabout path to the moon.
A propulsion system problem “threatens the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the moon,” the company said. The lander is equipped with engines and thrusters for maneuvering, not only during the cruise to the moon but for lunar descent.
A “critical loss” of fuel caused by a leak may have doomed the United States’s first attempt to land a craft on the moon in over five decades.
Astrobotic Technology, a private company based in Pittsburgh, announced the launch of its unmanned lunar landing, Peregrine, on Jan. 8. In the early hours of the morning, the craft launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
However, soon after the lander separated from the rocket, the team noticed a “propulsion anomaly” preventing Peregrine from orienting its solar panels toward the sun and collecting power. This malfunction could threaten “the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the Moon.” Engineers found a way to tilt the spacecraft in the right direction thanks to an “improvised manoeuvre,” and charge the battery. But another issue was discovered soon after.
“Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant,” the company said in a statement.
“The team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture.”
Unfortunately for Astrobotic, a space race has been sparked as private businesses vie to be the first private enterprise to land a craft on the moon successfully. A company from Israel crashed its private mission in 2019, and another from Japan did the same last year. Rival U.S. company Intuitive Machines also has spacecraft ready to fly, hoping to beat Peregrine to the moon by taking a more direct path.
At this stage, Astrobotic has said they are discussing alternative “mission profiles,” so if Peregrine can’t make the landing, it would at least be able to complete a different task. Originally, the mission, bankrolled by NASA to the tune of $108 million, was to gather data about the lunar surface before future human missions are launched as part of NASA’s Artemis program.