#astrobotic technology

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Peregrine launch sees US on way to the Moon after five decades

By David Szondy January 07, 2024

The first US Moon landing mission in 52 years is on its way after Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One (PM1) lifted off this morning from Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida atop a ULA Vulcan rocket at 2:18 am EST.

Under cloudy skies, the launch of PM1 took place without major delays or incidents. At one minute 16 seconds into the flight, the Vulcan/Centaur launcher reached maximum dynamic pressure. Reaching the one-minute-50-second mark, the solid rocket boosters separated from the Vulcan core stage. At the four-minute-59 second mark, the two first stage liquid fuel engines shut down, with stage separation following six seconds later.

The second stage then ignited and burned for two additional engine burns. After the Centaur stage shut down, the Peregrine spacecraft separated at 50 minutes into the flight.

The Centaur stage then fired again, sending it into a heliocentric orbit where it deployed the Celestis Memorial Spaceflight’s "Enterprise Flight" payload, which carries the cremated remains or DNA of a number of celebrities, including Gene and Majel Roddenberry, Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, and James Doohan. Peregrine also has the remains or DNA of 66 other individuals as part of the Celestis "Tranquility Flight" to the lunar surface.

As the Peregrine lander's systems powered up, contact was established with Astrobotic’s Mission Control Center, which will oversee operations from now on as Peregrine embarks on its 17-to-19-day cruise phase to lunar orbit during which it will orbit the Earth once before inserting into a lunar transfer orbit.

On reaching lunar orbit, Peregrine will carry out a series of orbital maneuvers to bring it closer to the lunar surface for up to 39 days until it gets the green light to land sometime in February 2024 at Sinus Viscositatis next to the Gruithuisen Domes on the northeast border of Oceanus Procellarum. This is an area of particular interest to geologists and it is hoped that the domes, which were formed out of granite-like substances, may shed light on the presence of water under the lunar surface or trapped in minerals.

Also onboard Peregrine are 20 payloads. Five of these are NASA experiments sent as part of the Artemis program and 15 more from international organizations. One of these is the Iris Lunar Rover built by Carnegie Mellon University. This means the PM1 is not only the first US lunar landing mission in over half a century and the first using a privately owned and operated spacecraft, it is also the first American mission to carry a lunar robotic rover.

The video below recaps the launch of PM1.

Jan. 8 LIVE Broadcast: Vulcan Cert-1

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan VC2S rocket will launch the first certification mission from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral

Source: New Atlas

[delstonejr]

Blastoff! ULA's Vulcan rocket launches moon lander on first mission

The Vulcan Centaur rocket launched from ULA's Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:18 a.m. EST (071

Congratulations to United Launch Alliance and Jeff Bezos for the successful launch of the new Vulcan Centaur rocket carrying the Peregrin lander on a journey to the moon. The Vulcan was equipped with BE4 engines, which appeared to operate flawlessly!

[pavel-nosok]

We’re Not Racing to the Moon, We’re Making It Home

More than 50 years ago, the Apollo program was crafted as a result of rising political tensions between two competing nations. As a new group of countries and emerging space companies set their eyes on the Moon once more, they aren’t going back for national pride but rather to further their space ambitions beyond the… Read more…

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Blue Origin selected as NASA’s 2nd Moon lander provider for Artemis

A rendering of the Blue Moon Human Landing System on the Moon for NASA’s Artemis program. Credit: Blue Origin A team led by Blue Origin has been selected by NASA to build a second Human Landing System for the agency’s Artemis program. Continue reading Untitled

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Astrobotic teams with Airbus for ESA Moon mission

Astrobotic teams with Airbus for ESA Moon mission

The Moon as seen from Earth orbit. Photo Credit: NASA

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected a team led by Airbus Defence and Space, in partnership with Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology, to study the delivery of a payload package to the Moon. (more…)

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NASA selects experiments to fly aboard commercial lunar landers

NASA selects experiments to fly aboard commercial lunar landers

An illustration of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander on the Moon’s surface. It was one of nine companies selected as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract in November 2018. Image Credit: Astrobotic Technology

With commercial lunar landers starting to fly, the next step will be for payloads, public and private, to be sent aboard them to the Moon’s surface. (more…)

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NASA contracts with Astrobotic to develop software for icy moon landings

NASA contracts with Astrobotic to develop software for icy moon landings

Image Credit: astrobotic

NASA has contracted with Astrobotic Technology, Inc., a company that develops space robotics for planetary missions, for the design of navigation software capable of guiding robotic landers on future missions to the solar system’s icy moons, which could harbor microbial life in subsurface oceans. (more…)

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NASA just gave $44 million to 6 private companies- including Jeff Bezos | IOL Daily

NASA is doling out a total of $44 million in awards among six private companies, including Jeff Bezos' secretive rocket company, Blue Origin.