WASHINGTON , January 11Astrobotic specialists have established communication with all instruments of the Peregrine lunar probe; it continues to lose fuel, but is still moving along a given trajectory around the Earth, the company reported.
“We have successfully received data from all nine instruments that can communicate with the lander. Ten instruments that require energy are charged, another ten units of cargo remain passive,” the company reported on the social network X. “These instruments were able to prove their performance in space «, the message says.
The Peregrine spacecraft, intended for landing on the Moon, launched into space on the morning of January 8 on a new generation Vulcan launch vehicle. Astrobotic, the company that created it under a contract with NASA, reported problems about eight hours after launch, noting that the spacecraft was unable to achieve a stable orientation to the Sun. Later, specialists managed to orient the module’s solar antennas towards the Sun and charge its battery, but at the same time it became known about a fuel leak, which, according to Astrobotic, makes its soft landing on the Moon impossible. Despite the emergency situation and the impossibility of achieving the main mission of the flight, the company said that it will make efforts to maximize the prolongation of the probe's activity and obtain data on its operation for future missions.
On board Peregrine with a carrying capacity of 90 kilograms are five NASA scientific instruments, as well as developments from Germany, Mexico, private American companies and universities, as well as symbolic and even ritual cargo, for example, a stone with Everest, Bitcoin coin and ashes of earthlings.
On Wednesday, Astrobotic reported that the device continues to move along its nominal trajectory around the Earth. On Wednesday it was 320 thousand kilometers from Earth, at that moment, according to experts, its fuel would last for at least another 36 hours.
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