The highly anticipated mission of the NASA-backed Peregrine One lander - intended to become the first U.S. object on the Moon's surface since the Apollo program of the 1970s - has taken an unexpected turn.
Experts have revealed that the mission has failed due to a propellant leak, causing Peregrine One to hurtle back towards Earth, the Daily Mail reports.
Peregrine One, designed to serve as a scout for NASA's Artemis astronauts ahead of their planned moon landing in 2026, encountered a critical setback.
Instead of reaching the lunar surface as hoped, the lander is now on a trajectory that will lead it to burn up in Earth's atmosphere on Thursday.
The private firm responsible for developing the spacecraft, Astrobotic, issued a statement on X acknowledging the mission's unexpected turn: "Our latest assessment now shows the spacecraft is on a path towards Earth, where it will likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The team is currently assessing options and we will update as soon as we are able."
As of Astrobotic's most recent update on January 14, Peregrine One is approximately 234,000 miles away from Earth but steadily approaching. Based on its current trajectory, the lander is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere on Thursday, January 18, with a high likelihood of burning up during reentry.
Astrobotic and NASA officials are also scheduled to hold a press conference on this date, per Space.com.
Concerns about the potential risk posed by surviving debris were addressed by Astrobotic. The company emphasized that it is collaborating with NASA to analyze the controlled re-entry path of Peregrine and believes that it does not pose safety risks.
The Peregrine One lander was under a $108 million contract with NASA and carried 20 payloads, including scientific instruments and DNA samples from U.S. presidents John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George Washington.
Additionally, the lander held the remains of more than 300 individuals, including Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. Of these, 62 capsules containing the remains had been placed within a 6-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide device known as the Peregrine Lunar Lander. Once on the moon, this was supposed to served as a "permanent memorial" on the lunar surface.
The remaining 268 capsules would have continued their journey over 185 million miles into deep space, where they were destined to "orbit the sun forever," according to Celestis CEO and co-founder Charles Chafer.
Unfortunately, it appears that these cherished remains will likely be lost when the lander burns up in Earth's atmosphere. The Daily Mail reports that it reached out to Astrobotic for further comment.
The mission encountered its critical failure shortly after its launch a week ago when the lander separated from the rocket and experienced an onboard explosion, resulting in a significant fuel loss. This issue affected the propulsion system, preventing the lander from properly orienting its solar panels to charge its batteries. Despite later efforts to reorient the solar panels, the damage was significant, leading to the decision that the lander would not achieve its planned lunar touchdown.
Despite the mission's unexpected end, Astrobotic has managed to power up science experiments for NASA and other space agencies while collecting valuable spaceflight data. The company remains undeterred and will have another opportunity in November with its Griffin lander, which will transport NASA's Viper rover to the lunar south pole.