There is "no chance" that the Peregrine Mission One spacecraft will make a soft landing on the Moon, according to spaceflight firm Astrobiotic.
A "failure within the propulsion system…causing a critical loss of propellant," was reported shorly after Peregrine's launch this week, throwing the mission to land on the lunar surface into doubt.
A private mission to soft-land on the Moon, Peregrine Mission One launched aboard a Vulcan rocket by United Launch Alliance from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 8 January.
However, after separating from the Vulcan rocket, the Peregrine lunar lander, built by spaceflight company Astrobotic, began receiving telemetry via the NASA Deep Space Network.
Astriobiotic says there is enough propellant for continued operation for another day or so and that Peregrine is in a "stable operating mode" enabling it to continue working as a spacecraft, but not a lander.
Peregrine Mission One, the story so far
While all seemed to be going well following Peregrine Mission One's launch, Astrobiotic shortly thereafter reported an "anomaly" that was preventing the spacecraft from pointing toward the Sun correctly.
This proved a risk to the spacecraft's ability to manoeuvre its solar panels towards the Sun.
The spacecraft then experienced a communication loss with Astrobiotic's team on the ground.
The team were able to re-establish communication with the Peregrine lander and manoeuvre its solar array towards the Sun.
While a battery charge was underway, Astrobiotic cited "failure within the propulsion system causing a critical loss of propellant.
"The team is working to try and stabilise this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritised maximising the science and data we can capture," the statement said.
"We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time."
Peregrine's first image
Meanwhile, Astrobiotic has released the first image captured by the Peregrine lander following its launch.
The camera is mounted onto a payload deck and shows Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) in the foreground.
"The disturbance of the MLI is the first visual clue that aligns with our telemetry data pointing to a propulsion system anomaly," a statement from Astrobiotic said.
"Nonetheless, the spacecraft’s battery is now fully charged, and we are using Peregrine’s existing power to perform as many payload and spacecraft operations as possible."
"At this time, the majority of our Peregrine mission team has been awake and working diligently for more than 24 hours. We ask for your patience as we reassess incoming data so we can provide ongoing updates later this evening."
Peregrine Mission One latest news
Astrobotic says its current explanation as to the propulsion issues is that "a valve between the helium pressurant and the oxidizer failed to reseal after actuation during initialization," a statement said.
This, the company's theory goes, caused a rush of high pressure helium that spiked the pressure in the oxidizer tank caused a rupture.
"While this is a working theory, a full analysis report will be produced by a formal review board made up of industry experts after the mission is complete," the statement said.
"All available data is being downloaded from the lander to support this assessment."
"We continue receiving valuable data and proving spaceflight operations for components and software relating to our next lunar lander mission, Griffin."
Peregrine Mission One's science aims
Peregrine Mission One had been due to land the Moon on 23 February 2024, in a region called the Gruithuisen Domes, which is filled with mysterious dome formations.
This area is northeast of Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms), a large dark area covering the Moon's upper left side.
What’s onboard Peregrine Mission One?
There are 21 different payloads on board Peregrine Mission One.
This includes six NASA experiments that will scout the lunar surface ahead of the agency’s Artemis III landing, currently scheduled for 2025/26.
The lander also carries several other scientific experiments which will investigate the lunar surface. It even has a small lunar rover that will scout the surrounding area.
In addition, the lander will carry artefacts such as informational archives, messages from the public, advertising enterprises and even a few memorial capsules containing human remains.
