The first commercial lunar lander, which was launched earlier Monday, is experiencing technical problems. This makes it highly questionable whether the spacecraft will be able to land on the moon, says Astrobotic, the company that built the lunar lander.
The problems came to light shortly after Peregrine separated from the Vulcan rocket that launched it.
According to Astrobotic, Peregrine, as the lunar lander is called, is experiencing problems with its propulsion system. As a result, the lunar lander does not move as it should. For example, the solar panels cannot be properly oriented toward the sun and the vehicle will not charge.
Astrobotic says that if these problems are not resolved, the vehicle will not be able to land on the moon. Since the rocket carrying the lunar lander has already been launched, there's not much the company can do in terms of repairs.
Astrobotic already takes into account that the moon landing will definitely not go ahead. The company says it is considering adjusting the mission's objectives.
Peregrine was supposed to be the first American moon landing in half a century. The lunar lander was to collect information about the lunar surface. With this information, astronauts could be sent to the moon again in the short term.
