Astrobotic announces new launch date for Peregrine lunar lander
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Astrobotic announced its Peregrine lunar lander is ready to launch.
The spacecraft built in Pittsburgh is heading to the Moon on Jan. 8, 2024. It was supposed to launch at the end of this year but was delayed.
After successfully pairing with a rocket payload adapter, Astrobotic says Peregrine is ready.
"I have high praise for the professionalism, dedication, and technical expertise demonstrated by the Astrobotic team throughout the complex multi-year Peregrine development program. Evolving Peregrine from a paper concept to a fully tested spacecraft ready for launch is a remarkable achievement for a small business," said Sharad Bhaskaran, Peregrine Mission One Director.
"If you've been following the lunar industry, you understand landing on the Moon's surface is incredibly difficult. With that said, our team has continuously surpassed expectations and demonstrated incredible ingenuity during flight reviews, spacecraft testing, and major hardware integrations," says John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO. "We are ready for launch and for landing."
Astrobotic has also kept its eyes toward the future, recently unveiling plans to invest millions to renovate a vacant building on the North Shore, creating nearly 300 high-tech jobs as it expands in Pittsburgh.
The company acquired a vacant five-story, 46,000-square-foot building at 1106 Reedsdale Street on the North Shore and wants to renovate a new $20 million facilityThe company's plan to create a space campus will create 283 jobs.
Astrobotic will use four of the five floors and a portion of the ground floor will be leased to the Keystone Space Collaborative for an innovation center.
If successful, this will be the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon since the Apollo program.
