WASHINGTON — Astrobotic says its Peregrine spacecraft, unable to land on the moon because of a propellant leak, will instead reenter the Earth’s atmosphere in the coming days.
In an update posted on social media Jan. 13, Astrobotic said it has been monitoring the trajectory of Peregrine over the last several days. Its Vulcan Centaur launch placed it on a highly elliptical orbit that took out beyond the orbit of the moon, with the original intent of swinging back around the Earth before going out to, and entering orbit around, the moon.
“Our analysis efforts have been challenging due to the propellant leak, which have been adding uncertainty to predictions of the vehicle’s trajectory,” the company said in a statement. “Our latest assessment now shows the spacecraft is on a path towards Earth, where it will likely burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.”
The company did not disclose a time or location for the reentry. Independent analysts, using available tracking data, estimate a reentry late Jan. 18 near Australia.
Peregrine suffered a propellant leak hours after its launch Jan. 8. The company believes that a valve in a helium pressurization system failed to close after an initial test, causing an overpressurization of an oxidizer tank. That ruptured the tank, creating the leak.
While Astrobotic initially said estimated the spacecraft would run out of propellant, and thus be unable to maintain the proper attitude for its solar panels to generate power, within a couple of days, the spacecraft continues to operate. The company said Jan. 11 it had powered on 10 payloads on the spacecraft, including four provided by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
“The propellant leak has slowed considerably to a point where it is no longer the teams’ top priority,” Astrobotic said in its Jan. 13 update. It did not state how much longer the spacecraft could operate with its remaining propellant.
NASA and Astrobotic announced Jan. 12 that they would hold a media briefing about the mission on Jan. 18.
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Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
