The Peregrine lander, built by private company Astrobotic, began its journey towards the Moon on Monday. This is a historic moment as it marks the first time a machine built by a private company will land on the lunar surface. It also represents the first American approach to the Moon since the Apollo program.
The lander was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 2:18 AM Eastern Time. If all goes according to plan, Peregrine will land on the Moon on February 23rd and spend approximately 10 days there. NASA states that the primary mission of the lander is to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, hydrogen content in the soil, magnetic fields, and radiation. This data will be crucial for future manned missions under the Artemis program.
Although the mission had a promising start, it faced some difficulties. Astrobotic reported a temporary loss of communication with the lander due to a propulsion system failure. Nonetheless, scientists remain optimistic about the mission and hope to successfully carry out the planned research.
If Peregrine lands as planned, it will be the first American landing on the Moon since the Apollo missions in 1972, as well as the first private mission to the lunar surface in history. The launch of Peregrine is also a significant event for United Launch Alliance, the company involved in developing the Vulcan rocket. The Vulcan is a launch vehicle intended to replace the Atlas V and Delta IV models as part of the National Security Space Launch program.
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