Moon landing threatened despite successful Space Coast launch on ULA Vulcan

While United Launch Alliance celebrated a successful launch from Cape Canaveral early Monday, its main customer was troubleshooting issues with its lunar lander that threatened its chance to get to the moon.

Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine lunar lander looked to be on its way after ULA’s Vulcan Centaur, making its first flight, shot into the Space Coast sky at 2:18 a.m. from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 41.

The Pittsburgh-based company’s lander was the first to launch under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract, and it did manage a successful separation from the upper Centaur stage that placed it into a trans-lunar injection trajectory.

A lot is riding on Astrobotic moon lander set for launch Monday on new Vulcan Centaur

Teams were able to then establish communications and activate Peregrine’s propulsion systems becoming fully operational, according to a company statement.

“Unfortunately, an anomaly occurred, which prevented Astrobotic from achieving a stable sun-pointing orientation,” it stated later Monday morning.

Despite being able to reposition and recharge dying batteries, troubleshooting revealed the propulsion system was the likely source for its continuing problem that “threatens the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the moon,” the company stated.

“Unfortunately, it appears the failure within the propulsion system is causing a critical loss of propellant. 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. We are currently assessing what alternative mission profiles may be feasible at this time,” a company statement said.

By 4 p.m., Astrobotic was not yet ready to state the moon was completely off the board, though, but posted an image received from space showing a “disturbance” on an insulation layer, noting it was “the first visual clue that aligns with our telemetry data pointing to a propulsion system anomaly.”

“Nonetheless, the spacecraft’s battery is now fully charged, and we are using Peregrine’s existing power to perform as many payload and spacecraft operations as possible,” the company stated. “At this time, the majority of our Peregrine mission team has been awake and working diligently for more than 24 hours. We ask for your patience as we reassess incoming data so we can provide ongoing updates.”

Late Monday, Astrobotic said it was using the lander’s Attitude Control System thrusters to keep it from “an uncontrollable tumble” and pointing at the sun so it can maintain power, but that won’t last long.

“If the thrusters can continue to operate, we believe the spacecraft could continue in a stable sun-pointing state for approximately 40 more hours, based on current fuel consumptions,” the company posted. “At this time, the goal is to get Peregrine as close to lunar distance as we can before it loses the ability to maintain its sun-pointing position and subsequently loses power.”

At risk of not reaching the moon are 20 payloads, five of which are from NASA. But among the 15 other payloads were a pair of controversial memorials with human remains that drew the criticism of the head of Navajo Nation. Representing around 400,000 members of the Native American tribe, President Buu Nygren said the Navajo consider the moon a sacred site, and one that should not be the resting place for human remains.

NASA also posted updates saying it was working with the Astrobotic team to determine the impact on its scientific plans.

“The privately designed and developed spacecraft uses novel, industry-developed technology, some of which has never flown in space,” NASA posted on its website. “While it’s too soon to understand the root cause, NASA is supporting Astrobotic, and will assist in reviewing flight data, identifying the cause, and developing a plan forward.”

Even before the launch, NASA’s Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration at its Science Mission Directorate, had already hedged the mission’s bets, noting each launch among the commercial partners were high risk.

“There are many challenges with spaceflight, and we’re incredibly proud of the Astrobotic and NASA teams that have put us one step closer to a robotic return to the lunar surface as part of Artemis,” he said. “NASA is committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they navigate the very difficult task of sending science and technology to the surface of the moon.”

In the case of Peregrine, NASA paid Astrobotic $108 million for the mission. For that cost, its five payloads were worth about $5 million, Kearns said. If none make it to the moon, NASA has backups of four of the experiments that can fly on future CLPS missions to the moon.

NASA’s CLPS program has several moon missions lined up including a second but larger lunar lander called Griffin from Astrobotic that’s currently planned to launch later in 2024.

“Each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow,” Kearns said “We will use this lesson to propel our efforts to advance science, exploration, and commercial development of the moon.”

First up, though, as early as next month is Houston-based commercial company Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander looking to fly on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center and potentially touching down on the moon as early as Feb. 22.

Including the Peregrine mission, NASA has nine CLPS contracts on order with as many as five missions that could fly this year. The program is designed to foster commercial companies’ progress to become viable lunar service providers, of which NASA would simply become a customer as opposed to having to manage entire missions. Contracts call on the companies to build their landers, line up a rocket to get them to the moon and take care of all communication. NASA is just along for the ride.

While the moonbound hopes of Astrobotic turned sour, ULA was still reveling in success of its rocket, which finally made it to orbit after years of delays.

Powered by new American-made engines from Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin flying for the first time, the Vulcan Centaur launch paves the way for ULA to replace its remaining stable of Atlas V and Delta IV family of rockets.

Dubbed Cerfitication-1, the mission is the first of two flights required by the Department of Defense before ULA can begin national security missions. It has four DOD missions for Vulcan slated for 2024, among 70 missions for the new rocket already in the books. Certification-2 will be as early as April on a mission to send Sierra Space’s new Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft on a mission to the International Space Station.

While officials plan to go over the maiden flight’s data for at least the next two months, early signs point to a complete success as far as the rocket is concerned.

Vulcan carved a bright streak of light over the clear Space Coast sky amid cheers from the crowds gathered at KSC’s press site that were drowned out by the soundwave of the rocket’s 1.7 million pounds of thrust, which in turn set off a symphony of car alarms.

“Tremendous excitement and anticipation,” said ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno ahead of launch. “I’ve got to tell you, I’ve done over 400 launches. All of them I always get butterflies. This one’s really special because of what it means to our country, to our customers, to the team that has worked so hard.”

An hour into the mission, Bruno was back with a giddy smile.

“Yeehaw. I am so thrilled I can tell you how much,” he said. “I am so proud of this team. Oh my gosh, this has been years of hard work. So far this has been an absolutely beautiful mission.”

Also flying and attached to the Centaur upper stage and headed for a permanent deep space orbit is a half-pound memorial with the partial remains and DNA of more than 200 people including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and actors James “Scotty” Doohan, Nichelle “Lt. Uhura” Nichols and DeForest “Dr. McCoy” Kelly, as part of Celestis Inc.’s Enterprise Flight. Among the DNA are hair samples from presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D Eisenhower and Ronald Regan. Once at its final destination, the stage will be Enterprise Station.

This became the Space Coast’s third launch of the year following a pair of SpaceX Falcon 9 missions from neighboring Space Launch Complex 40, including the latest Starlink mission that lifted off on Sunday evening nine hours earlier.