US Space Company Optimistic About Upcoming Moon Mission Despite Setback with Lander

Astrobotic CEO John Thornton expressed his unwavering confidence that the upcoming mission will successfully land on the Moon’s surface. Despite the unexpected challenges faced during the previous mission, Thornton remains optimistic about the future.

The Peregrine lander, launched as part of a partnership between NASA and private industry, encountered an explosion and fuel leakage, preventing it from reaching its intended destination. Thornton acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and attributed the problem to a faulty valve, promising a thorough investigation. However, he emphasized the numerous victories achieved after the anomaly, demonstrating the spacecraft’s functionality and the successful operation of scientific experiments onboard.

Thornton also confirmed that the damaged Peregrine lander had burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere upon reentry. Looking ahead, Astrobotic’s next mission, scheduled for November, will involve transporting NASA’s Viper rover to the Moon’s South Pole. This mission aims to gather valuable information about water’s origin and distribution, particularly in the form of ice, and explore its potential for future missions. The Griffin lander, which is three times larger than the Peregrine, will carry the Viper rover to its destination.

According to Joel Kearns, a senior NASA official, the Viper mission is considered to be highly advanced and expensive. It is crucial for NASA to thoroughly comprehend the underlying cause and the factors that contributed to the incident on the Peregrine mission.

Furthermore, Kearns emphasized that if necessary, NASA is willing to modify its plans for the Griffin mission. Flexibility is key in ensuring the success of future endeavors.

Under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, NASA has invested approximately $100 million in Astrobotic to transport its scientific instruments to the Moon. This initiative is part of NASA’s preparations to send American astronauts back to the desolate lunar surface in the coming years through the Artemis program.

NASA officials have expressed their strategic approach of increasing the number of attempts, which in turn increases the likelihood of achieving success. The next mission under the CLPS program, led by Intuitive Machines based in Houston, is scheduled for launch in February.

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