Peregrine Mission One has successfully launched to the Moon

The mission commenced successfully at 2:18am ET on January 8, 2024, with the Peregrine Lunar Lander launching atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This maiden flight of Vulcan, referred to as Cert-1, propelled Peregrine approximately 500km above Earth. Around 50 minutes post-launch, the lander detached from the rocket and powered on successfully, marking the start of its solo journey to the Moon. Astrobotic quickly established communication with Peregrine, receiving vital telemetry data.

John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic, expressed his excitement: “Today Peregrine Mission One achieved a number of big milestones. Peregrine powered on, acquired a signal with Earth, and is now moving through space on its way to the Moon. These successes bring us one step closer to seven nations landing on the Moon, six of which have never been to the Moon before.”

This launch under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative is a significant stride forward. Peregrine Mission One is tasked with delivering various scientific instruments and payloads to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes region. The mission supports NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon, by carrying NASA instruments aboard Peregrine.

The lander is ferrying 20 payloads from seven countries and 16 commercial clients, representing a diverse array of space agencies, universities, companies, and individuals globally. Notably, it includes the first lunar surface payloads from Mexican and German space agencies and the inaugural lunar payloads from the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Seychelles. Among these payloads is the DHL MoonBox, carrying over 100,000 personal mementos and messages from individuals worldwide.

Peregrine, assembled at Astrobotic’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, is a testament to collaborative efforts, featuring components from hundreds of suppliers across the US, including 184 companies in Pennsylvania alone.

Thornton added: “Astrobotic would like to thank its suppliers, customers, sponsors, supporters, and 250-employee team, who have worked tirelessly for years to make this moment possible.”

Looking beyond Peregrine Mission One, Astrobotic is gearing up for its next venture, Griffin Mission One, scheduled for late 2024. Griffin, the largest lunar lander since the Apollo lunar module, will transport NASA’s VIPER to the Moon’s south pole. Upon arrival, VIPER will investigate the presence of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions of Mons Mouton, contributing significantly to lunar exploration and research.

Paul Kostek, IEEE life senior member and Principal Systems Engineer at Air Direct Solutions LLC comments on future moon projects and their political motivations: “Last year saw a lot of movement across the space industry. Rivalry among countries and organisations encouraged boundary pushing and corporate investment, which led to further aerospace development. The moon is symbolic, and has become an objective for both commercial enterprises and international governments – many of which, are using this new target to demonstrate their own technical competence. 

“Much like the original space race, international rivalries continue to drive innovation. Besides the USA, several others are planning landings of probes on the moon and recent technological advances will likely lead to even more players competing in this arena. This raises the need to address how the moon will be used or, in fact, colonised. Commercial space organisations will probably continue to develop their capabilities in line with the vision of their leaders, with or without government contracts. It is likely that the moon, and possibly Mars, will be treated like Antarctica, with governments staking out specific areas for research and resources. With many competing launches in 2023 and more planned this year, the moon mission presents an opportunity for countries to position themselves space-industry leaders.”

*UPDATE*

After successfully separating from United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander began receiving telemetry via the NASA Deep Space Network. Astrobotic-built avionics systems, including the primary command and data handling unit, as well as the thermal, propulsion, and power controllers, all powered on and performed as expected. After successful propulsion systems activation, Peregrine entered a safe operational state. Unfortunately, an anomaly then occurred, which prevented Astrobotic from achieving a stable sun-pointing orientation. The team is responding in real time as the situation unfolds and will be providing updates as more data is obtained and analysed.