The start-up Astrobotic wanted to attempt the first commercial moon landing. The rocket launch went according to plan, but then problems arose with the spacecraft. The Peregrine mission therefore failed. But a German company doesn’t want to give up space for itself.
The commercial space company Astrobotic has launched into space. With the lander Peregrine they wanted to be the first private company to land on the lunar surface. The mission is now facing a number of challenges and a commercial lunar landing is therefore ruled out.
This means that a PR campaign by Deutsche Post/DHL also fails. With the Moonbox project, the logistics group wanted to send 151 small honeycomb-shaped boxes from its customers to the moon. But the packages will no longer reach their destination.
A picture-perfect start, followed by problems
Peregrine (Peregrine Falcon) is actually scheduled to land on the surface of the satellite on February 23, 2024. Despite the “picture-perfect start,” as Arjan Sissing, brand manager at Deutsche Post/DHL, describes it, the space capsule had problems after it was released into space.
First there was one Drive system malfunction. The lunar probe was initially unable to assume a stable position to align the solar cells. This issue has been resolved and the Batteries are now fully charged.
Then it was Communication with the spacecraft lost. However, this also happens with other spacecraft, such as the Voyager space probes of the American space agency Nasa in recent months. The contact with Peregrine could also be restored.
Peregrine is losing fuel
The next mistake didn’t take long to come. Peregrine has a problem with the propulsion module and is losing fuel. “Given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can collect. We are currently evaluating what alternative mission profiles are possible at this time,” says a message on X.
Even before these problems, Sissing said that it was too early to think about the planned moon landing: “We first have to see that we get that far. We support Astrobotic and keep all our fingers crossed.” Given the fuel problems, Astrobotic’s dream of the first commercial moon landing is becoming a distant dream.
“If the engines continue to function, the spacecraft could remain stable toward the Sun for about 40 hours based on current fuel consumption,” explains Astrobotic in another message on X (around two o’clock on January 9, 2024). The mission team wants to maneuver the spacecraft as close to the moon as possible before it loses power. The mission team provides further updates about X – including the first photo of Peregrine from space.
Mission failed, the dream of space remains
The Peregrine Mission One failed with its actual plans to land on the moon. Whether there will be further collaboration with DHL has not yet been discussed.
Perhaps future missions will even film the landing approach from the outside, as competitors Intuitive Machines are planning to do with their upcoming lunar mission. A small satellite will then be released into the orbit of our stellar neighbor and film the planned landing. Sissing would have wanted something like that for this mission: “A Superman would actually have to fly alongside to film and document everything from the outside.”
After all, a piece of Mount Everest will now remain in near-Earth space. Because Nepal has packed “a piece of the surface of Mount Everest into a package” from the Moonbox project. With missions like this, DHL would like to learn which logistical tasks and requirements must be met in order to have a “stationary stay on the moon” – even if it didn’t work out this time.
Show all
Show all