Astrobotic, maker of the failed Peregrine lunar lander loaded with NASA instruments, has decided to end the mission launched on January 8 and chart a course back to Earth. Due to the loss of fuel that prevented Peregrin from reaching its destination, NASA had recommended:Allow the spacecraft to burn up upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere“.
Because this is a private mission, the final decision on Peregrine's final flight path was made by Astrobotic. “Ultimately, we must balance our own desire to prolong Peregrine's life, Operate payloads and learn more about the spacecraftwith the risk that our damaged spacecraft could cause a problem in cislunar space,” the company explains in a statement.
“Therefore, we made the difficult decision to maintain the spacecraft's current trajectory to re-enter Earth's atmosphere. By responsibly completing Peregrine’s mission, we are doing our part.” to preserve the future of cislunar space for all”.
Despite the problem with the propulsion system, the mission team was able to stabilize the vehicle, power up all active payloads, and enable payload data collection. The spacecraft has been in space for 6 days and 16 hoursand Peregrine continues to lose fuel.
Although Astrobotic believes the spacecraft may have been operational for several more weeks and could have raised its orbit to avoid touching Earth, it should be noted the abnormal condition of the drive system and utilize the vehicle’s onboard capabilities to complete the mission responsibly and safely.”
Peregrine will soon return to Earth's atmosphere and On January 14, the vehicle was approximately 376,000 kilometers away.. “We are working with NASA to further update and evaluate Peregrine's controlled re-entry route. We do not believe that Peregrine's re-entry poses any safety risks and that the spacecraft will burn up in Earth's atmosphere,” the statement continued. Astrobotic was the first U.S. mission to the lunar surface since the Apollo program.