Artist’s representation of the Peregrine lander on the Moon. | Image: NASA
US-based Astrobotic’s wait for a Moon mission has finally ended as the launch date for its lander has finally been announced.
The lander Peregrine is scheduled to launch no earlier than December 24 aboard the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with the launch window extending till December 26.
We have a launch date! 🚀 Peregrine is set to journey into space aboard @ULAlaunch’s #VulcanRocket on Dec. 24, 2023. Stay tuned for more information on how to tune in and watch liftoff! https://t.co/ctxRSe6FhI
— Astrobotic (@astrobotic) October 24, 2023
Selected through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, the Peregrine lander will touch down on the Moon in early 2024.
About Peregrine Mission 1
The mission is aimed at studying the lunar exosphere, thermal properties and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, the radiation environment and testing advanced solar arrays.
Measuring 1.9 meters high and 2.5 meters wide, the lander will deploy 10 payloads including those provided by NASA for measurement purposes.
“The NASA payloads aboard the lunar lander aim to help the agency develop capabilities needed to explore the Moon under Artemis ahead of sending astronauts to the lunar surface,” NASA said in an official statement.
If the landing is successful, Astrobotic will become the first private company to touch down on the Moon. Japan-based space was the first to attempt a private landing but it made a hard landing after the mission team lost contact with the HAKUTO-R lander just a couple of kilometers from the surface.
According to NASA, Peregrine will attempt to land in Sinus Viscositatis (Bay of Stickiness) adjacent to the Gruitheisen Domes on the northeast border of Oceanus Procellarum, the vast volcanic plain visible on the near side of the Moon.
On October 31, Astrobotic announced that the lander would have arrived safely at Cape Canaveral and will soon be integrated with the Vulcan rocket.
“It’s incredible to realize that we are just a short time away from our Peregrine spacecraft beginning its journey to the Moon,” said John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO in an official statement. “After years of dedication and hard work, we are so close to having our moonshot.”
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
