First U.S. Moonshot in Decades Will Fall Short

This week’s moon mission won’t be the last in 2024 for NASA…or Astrobotic, the company behind Monday’s launch.

Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 11:31 AM ET

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United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur V rocket, carrying Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander, takes off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday morning. [Courtesy: Astrobotic]

Key Takeaways:

Astrobotic's Peregrine lander, the first American attempt at a moon landing in over 50 years, will not achieve a soft lunar landing due to a critical propulsion system malfunction and propellant loss.
The malfunction, likely caused by a failed valve, compromised the lander's ability to orient itself and maintain control for a safe descent.
Despite the inability to land, the Peregrine mission's payloads are operational and continue to transmit data as it flies toward lunar orbit, providing valuable learning experiences.
This mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which views such attempts as crucial "shots on goal" for developing a commercial lunar economy and supporting future Artemis crewed missions, with Astrobotic having further lunar endeavors planned.

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The first American spacecraft to attempt a moon landing since Apollo 17 half a century ago will not reach the lunar surface, according to the company that built it.

Peregrine Mission One, an expedition to the moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, lifted off Monday morning and appeared to be progressing as planned. But a few hours into the spaceflight, Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, whose Peregrine lander was destined for the lunar surface, released a series of updates on X (formerly Twitter) that cast doubt on the mission’s aims.