Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic's lunar lander will burn up in Earth's atmosphere after failed moonshot
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic's lunar lander will soon burn up in Earth's atmosphere after a failed moonshot.
Astrobotic Technology said its lander is now headed back toward Earth from the vicinity of the moon. Company officials expect the mission to end Thursday. Astrobotic is working with NASA to track the lander's path and said it should pose no safety risk during its fiery reentry.
The lander, named Peregrine, rocketed from Cape Canaveral last Monday. It quickly developed a fuel leak that forced Astrobotic to abandon its attempt to make the first U.S. lunar landing in more than 50 years. The company suspects a stuck valve caused a tank to rupture.
Astrobotic said it has consulted with NASA and other government officials on how best to end the mission. The company said it does not want to endanger satellites around Earth or create a hazard for future spacecraft flying to the moon.
It was a "difficult decision," the company said in an online update late Sunday. "By responsibly ending Peregrine's mission, we are doing our part to preserve the future" of space exploration.
"I am so proud of what our team has accomplished with this mission," Astrobotic CEO John Thornton said in a statement. "It is a great honor to witness firsthand the heroic efforts of our mission control team overcoming enormous challenges to recover and operate the spacecraft after Monday's propulsion anomaly. I look forward to sharing these, and more remarkable stories, after the mission concludes on January 18. This mission has already taught us so much and has given me great confidence that our next mission to the Moon will achieve a soft landing."
NASA paid more than $100 million to fly experiments on the Peregrine lander. It's part of the space agency's bid to commercialize lunar deliveries by private businesses while the government works to get astronauts back to the moon.
The lander also carried a rover from Carnegie Mellon University and other privately sponsored research, as well as the ashes and DNA from about 70 people, including "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Astrobotic has plans to expand in Pittsburgh. The company recently acquired a vacant five-story, 46,000-square-foot building on the North Shore and wants to renovate a new $20 million facility. It's expected to create nearly 300 high-tech jobs.
Another U.S. company, Intuitive Machines, is up next with its own lunar lander due to launch next month.