Science – Malfunction after the launch of the American special moon mission – Knowledge

Cape Canaveral (dpa) – Shortly after the start of an American mission aimed at the first successful commercial landing on the moon, a malfunction occurred, according to the company. Initially, the launch went as planned and the systems worked as expected, Astrobotic of Pittsburgh announced Monday. “Unfortunately, a glitch occurred that prevented Astrobotic from assuming a stable position facing the sun.”

According to initial investigations, it was likely due to a faulty drive, as was reported shortly thereafter. If confirmed, the planned soft landing on the Moon would also be in jeopardy. In addition, the battery charge has now reached a low level. She added that the team is responding to the situation and will provide more information as soon as it is available.

The Peregrine lander was launched from Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Monday morning aboard a Vulcan Centaur rocket manufactured by ULA. The capsule was supposed to land on Earth's satellite at the end of February in an area called Sinus Viscositatis (Gulf of Adhesion) and complete the first unmanned American landing on the moon since the Apollo mission more than 50 years ago.

In April 2023, a Japanese company failed a similar mission, with Ispace citing an incorrect calculation of the lander's altitude during the landing attempt.

Through Peregrine Mission 1, individuals were able to purchase space to transport materials to the Moon in a lander measuring 1.9 meters high and 2.5 meters in diameter. NASA also wants to prepare its own expeditions to Earth's companions using several instruments in flight. NASA wants to examine the Moon's exosphere, among other things, during the mission. In addition, the thermal properties and hydrogen content of the material on the moon's surface (regolith) will be studied.

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