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Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One (PM1), launched on January 8, 2024, aboard United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, aimed to make history by landing on the Moon. However, a significant anomaly during the mission's early stages prevented the lander from achieving its primary objective. Despite this setback, the mission provided valuable insights and data that will inform future lunar endeavors. by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 30, 2024
Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One (PM1), launched on January 8, 2024, aboard United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, aimed to make history by landing on the Moon. However, a significant anomaly during the mission's early stages prevented the lander from achieving its primary objective. Despite this setback, the mission provided valuable insights and data that will inform future lunar endeavors.
The mission began successfully with Peregrine establishing communication with Astrobotic's Mission Control Center and initiating spacecraft commissioning. During the propulsion system's activation, a failure in one of the Pressure Control Valves (PCV2) led to an uncontrolled flow of helium into the oxidizer tank, causing the tank to rupture and leak oxidizer throughout the mission. This anomaly hindered Peregrine from achieving the required pressurization to land on the Moon.
Following the incident, Astrobotic shifted its focus to maximizing the mission's scientific and technological returns. The spacecraft was operated for over 10 days in cislunar space, during which time the team gathered propulsion system data, maintained payload operations, and collected vital performance data on the lander's subsystems. Two scientific papers were published based on data collected during this phase.
Astrobotic's external review board, chaired by Dr. John Horack from Ohio State University, conducted a thorough investigation into the mission anomaly. The board concluded that the failure of PCV2 was due to a mechanical issue, likely caused by vibration-induced relaxation between threaded components inside the valve. Ground testing confirmed this failure mode, providing crucial insights for future mission planning.
In response to the findings, Astrobotic has implemented several corrective actions to prevent similar issues in future missions. These include redesigning primary PCVs to address the mechanical sealing flaw, incorporating multiple dissimilar PCVs in future landers, and enhancing oversight and quality management at key supplier facilities.
Looking ahead, Astrobotic is focused on its next mission, Griffin Mission One (GM1), set to launch by the end of 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. This mission will target the lunar south pole and carry multiple payloads, including Astrobotic's CubeRover, ESA's LandCam-X, and a NASA laser retroreflector array.
The lessons learned from Peregrine Mission One will directly contribute to the success of future lunar missions, reaffirming Astrobotic's commitment to making the Moon more accessible for science, exploration, and commercial ventures.
The detailed assessment report can be found here: Peregrine: Mission 1 Post-Mission Report August 2024
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