Re-entry to Earth on the 18th… The exact time and location are not disclosed.
Space.com reported that the American space company Astrobotic’s ‘Peregrine’ lunar lander, which was the first private sector attempt to land on the moon, is scheduled to enter the Earth’s atmosphere on the 18th (local time).
Astrobotic explained through social media
Astrobotic expected its lifespan to be short due to a fuel leak on the spacecraft, but officials said Peregrine has continued to operate after more than eight days in space. On the 13th, they even succeeded in a short engine test by operating one of the main engines for 200 ms (milliseconds).
As of the 16th, Peregrine was flying in space about 294,500 km away from Earth. This is the distance within the orbit of the moon, which orbits the Earth at about 384,400 km.
Astrobotic said the mission will end on the 18th when Peregrine reaches Earth, but did not disclose the time or location when the spacecraft will enter Earth’s atmosphere.
On the 8th, Peregrine was launched toward the moon on a rocket from the U.S. United Launch Alliance (ULA). However, serious problems such as insulation damage and fuel leakage were discovered immediately after separation from the rocket, making space flight to the moon impossible. If all goes according to plan, Peregrine was scheduled to attempt a lunar landing on the 23rd of next month.
Peregrine is the first mission of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Landing Services Program (CLPS), carrying a variety of commercial cargo and five types of NASA experimental equipment.
Peregrine ultimately failed to reach the moon, but another CLPS launch is scheduled. The American private space company ‘Intuitive Machines’ plans to launch the ‘Nova-C’ unmanned lunar lander next month on SpaceX’s ‘Falcon 9’ rocket.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.