Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander is seen preparing for launch near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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An American company’s lunar lander will soon burn up in Earth’s atmosphere after a failed launch to the moon.
Astrobotic Technology announced that its lander is currently returning to Earth from near the Moon. Company officials expect the mission to conclude Thursday. Astrobotic is working with NASA to track the lander’s path and said it does not pose a safety risk during the violent reentry.
The lander, named Peregrine, was rocket-launched from Cape Canaveral last Monday. A fuel leak soon occurred, forcing Astrobotic to abandon the first American attempt to land on the moon in more than 50 years. The company believes that a stuck valve caused the tank to burst.
Astrobotic said it consulted with NASA and other government officials about the best way to end the mission. The company said it does not intend to jeopardize Earth-orbiting satellites or pose a risk to future spacecraft flying to the moon.
The company said in an online update late Sunday that this was a “difficult decision.” “By completing Peregrine’s mission responsibly, we are doing our part to secure the future of space exploration.”
NASA paid more than $100 million to test flight the Peregrine lander. This is part of the Space Agency’s efforts to commercialize deliveries to the moon by private companies while the government works to return astronauts to the moon. The lander will carry spacecraft from Carnegie Mellon University and other privately funded research, as well as the remains and DNA of about 70 people, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. It was rare.
Another US company, Intuitive Machines, is planning its own lunar lander next, scheduled to launch next month.