Space Anomaly Derails Historic US Moon Lander Mission: Astrobotic's Peregrine Suffers Propellant Leak

Space robotics firm Astrobotic said on Monday night that its Peregrine lunar lander aimed at making a soft landing on the moon is experiencing a propellant leak which will deter it from achieving its ultimate goal.

What Happened: The spacecraft is experiencing a propellant leak which is causing its thrusters to operate beyond their expected service life cycles, the company said. If the thrusters continue to operate without giving away, the spacecraft will have 40 more hours of stability before it runs out of power, the company explained.

“At this time, the goal is to get Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power,” the company said.

Why It Matters: Astrobotic’s Peregrine was one of the payloads carried by United Lunch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket on its maiden launch on Monday.

The lander was expected to make a soft landing on the moon on Feb.23 after a 46-day journey, marking the first American landing since the Apollo in 1972.

Astrobotic did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.

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