Astrorobotic Lunar Landing In Question

The first U.S. attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon in more than 50 years is in jeopardy after the Peregrine lander vented fuel from its propulsion system while being used to address another issue. After a good launch aboard a Vulcan Centaur rocket developed by the joint Lockheed Martin and Boeing venture United Launch Alliance, the lander, built by Astrorobotic, was unable to orient itself for its solar panels to face the sun. When the propulsion system was used to fix that, the fuel started to leak.

Ground controllers were able to get the spacecraft in alignment to charge its battery, but the loss of fuel appears to be mission critical as far as actually landing on the moon is concerned. “The team is working to try and stabilize this loss, but given the situation, we have prioritized maximizing the science and data we can capture," Astrorobotic said in a statement. "We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time.” The first photo sent back from the lander shows damage to an insulating shroud on the spacecraft.