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NEW DELHI: The first US lunar lander in more than 50 years rocketed to space Monday, suffered ‘critical loss’ of fuel, in a major blow to America’s hopes of placing its first robot on the lunar surface in five decades.
The robotic lander, Peregrine, built by a private company Astrobotic has been facing several technical problems since its launch.
In its latest update, Astrobotic posted on X, ” Unfortunately, it appears the faliure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant”.
“The team is working to try and stabilize the loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximising the science and data we can capture”, the company further added.
“We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time”, it said.
The robotic lander, Peregrine, built by a private company Astrobotic has been facing several technical problems since its launch.
In its latest update, Astrobotic posted on X, ” Unfortunately, it appears the faliure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant”.
“The team is working to try and stabilize the loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximising the science and data we can capture”, the company further added.
“We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time”, it said.
The technical snag comes hours after the lander faced a communication blackout, only to re-establish the connection later.
Peregrine is expected to reach the Moon and remain in orbit for several weeks until landing on February 23 in a mid-latitude region of the Moon known as Sinus Viscositatis, or Bay of Stickiness.
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