Peregrine lander: Technical hitch threatens US Moon mission

The Peregrine lander, a private US Moon mission that was launched on Monday, has encountered technical difficulties. Astrobotic, the company responsible for the project, has reported an 'anomaly' with their spacecraft, Peregrine. This anomaly has disrupted the spacecraft's ability to stably point its solar panels towards the Sun.

Without the solar panels functioning correctly, the spacecraft is unable to charge its batteries, which could jeopardize the mission's objective to land on the Moon. Astrobotic's engineers are currently addressing the issue and will provide updates as more information becomes available. The Peregrine lander, weighing 1. 2 tonnes, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Vulcan rocket.

The mission aspires to be the first American mission in half a century to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, and the first commercial endeavor to do so. The US space agency has secured space on the lander for five instruments, intended to study the lunar environment in preparation for sending astronauts later this decade. The mission began experiencing difficulties during post-launch checks. The issue arose after Peregrine had established communication and all its systems had been activated. Peregrine is struggling to maintain a stable lock on the Sun, which is necessary for its solar panels to receive a constant supply of sunlight to generate electricity. Without power, the mission cannot proceed. The team suspects that the most likely cause of the unstable Sun-pointing is a propulsion anomaly. If confirmed, this could threaten the spacecraft's ability to soft-land on the Moon. As the team works to resolve the issue, the spacecraft's battery is nearing operationally low levels. It is not uncommon for spacecraft to experience technical issues, and Astrobotic's engineers will have rehearsed responses to a variety of fault scenarios. The spacecraft itself will also have been programmed to protect itself during such events, prioritizing power and communications back to Earth.