WASHINGTON: The first US lunar lander in more than fifty years, Astrobotic’s Peregrine, encountered a technical anomaly preventing it from maintaining a stable orientation towards the Sun, according to an announcement from the company on Monday.
Following a successful launch atop United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, Peregrine initiated communication with NASA’s Deep Space Network. While all systems were reported to have powered on as anticipated, the anomaly surfaced, obstructing the lander from achieving the desired sun-pointing orientation.
Astrobotic stated that its team is actively responding to the situation in real time and will provide updates as data is collected and analyzed.
The Peregrine lunar lander, on its way to the Moon, is expected to maintain orbit before executing a final landing in the mid-latitude region known as Sinus Viscositatis, or Bay of Stickiness, on February 23.
This mission marks a significant shift towards commercial involvement in lunar exploration, with companies like Astrobotic playing a pivotal role in advancing routine missions and reducing costs compared to traditional government-led endeavors.
