posted 07-26-2017 09:26 AM               

Astrobotic and United Launch Alliance Announce
Mission to the Moon

Rust Belt Company, Astrobotic selects ULA to launch its Peregrine Lander in 2019 for lunar mission 50 years after Apollo 11

Astrobotic and United Launch Alliance (ULA) proudly announce today that Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander will be onboard a ULA launch vehicle in 2019, during the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

"Astrobotic is thrilled to select a ULA launch vehicle as the means to get Peregrine to the Moon," said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. "By launching with ULA, Astrobotic can rest assured our payload customers will ride on a proven launch vehicle with a solid track record of success. Together, our two organizations will honor the past and trail blaze the lunar future."

This effort is a big step in realizing Astrobotic's goal of creating a Rust Belt based international gateway to the Moon. The Peregrine Lunar Lander will fly 35 kilograms of customer payloads on its first mission, with the option to upgrade to 265 kilograms on future missions. Already 11 deals from six nations have been signed for this 2019 mission. The first mission in 2019 will serve as a key demonstration of service for NASA, international space agencies, and companies looking to carry out missions to the Moon. This announcement comes as Astrobotic continues to advance Peregrine toward flight, with the preliminary design review of the vehicle having already taken place in November 2016.

"Technical credibility and signed deals remain key differentiators for Astrobotic as a lunar delivery company. Our customers and partners know that our 10 years of lunar lander development work has made us the world leader in this market," said Thornton.

"We are thrilled that Astrobotic has selected ULA to launch the Peregrine Lander to the Moon," said ULA president and CEO, Tory Bruno. "The Moon is the next great frontier, but in a different way than when Neil Armstrong landed there. Enabling technologies like those from Astrobotic will allow people to live and work in the space between here and the Moon and take advantage of all those resources in a way that is sustainable."

ULA joins a world-class team of mission partners led by Astrobotic. These partners include NASA, who is providing Astrobotic access to some of the best spacecraft engineers and facilities in the world, as part of NASA's Lunar CATALYST Program; Airbus DS, who brings world-class spacecraft experience in human spaceflight and exploration and leverages previous lander development work with the European Space Agency; and Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world's leading mail and logistics company, who is the "Official Logistics Provider for Astrobotic's First Mission to the Moon."

posted 08-14-2017 10:29 AM               

We are thrilled to jointly unveil with United Launch Alliance (ULA) our end to end mission video for Astrobotic's first upcoming flight to the Moon. This video follows up our July announcement of partnering with ULA to launch the Peregrine Lunar Lander on the Atlas V for our first mission in 2019.

posted 05-15-2018 09:37 AM               

Arch Mission Foundation Partners with Astrobotic to Launch Historic Lunar Library

Lunar Library will put Wikipedia, the Long Now Foundation's Rosetta Project, and other archives on the Moon.

The Arch Mission Foundation and Astrobotic today announced a partnership to land the Lunar Library on Astrobotic's first mission to the Moon in 2020. The Lunar Library will last for up to billions of years on the Moon, continuing the Arch Foundation's mission to preserve and disseminate humanity's most important knowledge across time and space.

The foundational components of the Lunar Library will include the Wikipedia, and the Long Now Foundation's Rosetta Project, a digital library of human languages. Additional content and data for the Lunar Library, will be announced in the coming year.

"We're thrilled the Arch Mission Foundation has selected Astrobotic," said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. "It's humbling to think our mission to the Moon will deliver something that could be read millions of years from now. Arch's Lunar Library will be a monument not only to human knowledge and culture, but also the first commercial mission to the Moon."

Astrobotic will carry the Lunar Library to the Moon on its Peregrine Lunar Lander and store it on the lunar surface. Astrobotic's inaugural lunar mission is set for launch in 2020 and will include a manifest of payloads from governments, companies, universities, non­profits, and individuals.

"The Arch Mission Foundation has conducted extensive technical diligence in order to select Astrobotic for this lunar mission. We're impressed with Astrobotic's readiness for repeatable lunar missions. Our deep connections in the space industry and space agencies have consistently given us positive endorsements of Astrobotic's capabilities," said Arch Mission co­founder Nick Slavin.

The Lunar Library consists of a set of tens of millions of pages of text and images stored as analog microfiche on thin sheets of nickel. Each page is etched by laser at 300,000 dpi using patented nanolithography technology provided exclusively to the Arch Mission Foundation by Stamper Technologies. The content of the Library can easily be read via a 1000x magnification optical microscope, without needing a computer. Nickel is impervious to radiation as well as the changing temperatures on the Moon, and can last for millions to billions of years in space.

In addition to the nickel microfiche technology, the Lunar Library will also utilize other storage technologies, including the 5D "superman memory" used in the Solar Library mission earlier this year, and data stored in molecular form using new DNA storage technology. More will be announced about these technologies in the coming year.

"Through massive replication around the solar system we will be able to guarantee that the Arch Libraries™ will never be lost ­ even millions to billions of years in the future," said Nova Spivack, co­founder and Chairman of the Arch Mission Foundation. "We can definitely preserve our unique cultural heritage and biological record in a way that will survive for millions to billions of years, and that has not been possible before. We see the Lunar Library as the ultimate in cold storage for human civilization."

The Lunar Library follows the Arch Mission's initial foray into space with the Solar Library, launched aboard SpaceX's first Falcon Heavy flight earlier this year. It marks the 12th lunar payload sale for Astrobotic, which continues to lead the world in lunar sales.

posted 05-31-2019 12:20 PM               

Astrobotic Awarded $79.5 Million Contract to Deliver 14 NASA Payloads to the Moon

Astrobotic's first mission manifest now totals 28 payloads from 8 nations

Astrobotic to add dozens of high tech jobs to the Pittsburgh area

Astrobotic was selected today by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to deliver 14 payloads to the Moon on its Peregrine lunar lander in July 2021. With this $79.5 million CLPS award, Astrobotic has now secured 28 payloads for lunar delivery as part of its first mission. Fifty years after Apollo 11, Pittsburgh's Astrobotic is returning America back to the Moon in partnership with NASA.

Today's announcement of a firm fixed price contract to deliver NASA science, exploration, and technology demonstration payloads to the Moon is a culmination of Astrobotic's 12 year history as the pioneer in lunar delivery. Born and bred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of America's advanced technology epicenters, Astrobotic is leading the world in lunar payload sales. Astrobotic's 28 payloads represent 8 different countries (including the United States). Payloads comprise of resource development, scientific investigation, technology demonstration, exploration, marketing, arts, and entertainment. NASA's CLPS selection, along with our existing manifest of signed customers, affirm that Astrobotic's American-designed Peregrine lander is the market choice for payload customers worldwide.

"Today is a historic day for Astrobotic and the commercial lunar market," said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. "It is an awe-inspiring responsibility to be charged with delivering NASA's payloads alongside our existing manifest of customers. Astrobotic was founded on the tenets of technical excellence, credible timelines, and value to customers. NASA's confidence in our services is a testament to the hard work of the Astrobotic team, which spent 12 years making commercial lunar delivery a reality. Today, that hard work has come to fruition. We are proud to join NASA in returning America to the Moon."

Peregrine is a lunar lander product line that will carry uncrewed payloads to the Moon. With Peregrine's robust delivery capacity, the lunar surface is open to companies, governments, and universities, and individuals. The vehicle has passed an industry-standard Preliminary Design Review and the program will build and test a Structural Test Model followed by a Critical Design Review later this year. Peregrine will launch in June 2021 with a planned landing in July 2021.

With 28 payloads now on board for Peregrine Mission One and a healthy payload pipeline for follow-on Peregrine missions to the Moon, Astrobotic is expanding operations and growing its team. Career openings are available online now at the Astrobotic website, and we invite the nation's best technical talent to make history with us.

posted 08-19-2019 02:14 PM               

Astrobotic Selects United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur Rocket to Launch its First Mission to the Moon

Astrobotic announced today that it selected United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket in a competitive commercial procurement to launch its Peregrine lunar lander to the Moon in 2021.

"We are so excited to sign with ULA and fly Peregrine on Vulcan Centaur. This contract with ULA was the result of a highly competitive commercial process, and we are grateful to everyone involved in helping us make low-cost lunar transportation possible. When we launch the first lunar lander from American soil since Apollo, onboard the first Vulcan Centaur rocket, it will be a historic day for the country and commercial enterprise," said Astrobotic CEO, John Thornton.

Astrobotic, the world leader in commercial delivery to the Moon, was selected by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to deliver up to 14 NASA payloads to the Moon on its Peregrine lunar lander in 2021. With this $79.5 million CLPS award, Astrobotic has now signed 16 customers for lunar delivery on its first mission.

"Our rockets have carried exploration missions to the Moon, the sun, and every planet in the solar system so it is only fitting that Vulcan Centaur's inaugural flight will lead the return of Americans to the lunar surface," said Tory Bruno, ULA's president and CEO. "We could not be more excited to fly this mission for Astrobotic."

Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander will launch on a Vulcan Centaur rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch of this mission will serve as the first of two certification flights required for ULA's U.S. Air Force certification process.

"This partnership represents a true 'whole-of-government' approach to how our nation is leading the world in space: NASA contracted with a commercial company to land on the Moon, who then went on to contract with a commercial company for a rocket built to serve the national security space market," said Bruno. "This highlights the power of our American system of partnership between government and industry to solve the toughest problems and the greatest of our human aspirations."

posted 09-08-2020 08:42 AM               

Astrobotic Successfully Completes Peregrine Lunar Lander Structural Model Testing

Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One program has successfully passed structural qualification testing, marking a major development milestone toward its maiden voyage and lunar landing in 2021. These tests qualify the integrity of the Peregrine lander's structure and its ability to survive launch while carrying payloads from 16 customers.

The test campaign was completed using the Peregrine Structural Test Model (STM), a one-to-one scale representation of Peregrine that was assembled at Astrobotic's new lunar logistics headquarters in Pittsburgh. The majority of the STM hardware elements were manufactured by vendors in the local Pittsburgh area. The STM, in launch configuration, underwent structural testing necessary for mission success.

Testing was conducted over two months at the Dayton T. Brown, Inc. commercial test facility in Bohemia, NY. The campaign proved that Peregrine can withstand the flight environment of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur, the launch vehicle for the mission. The qualification campaign included static, sine vibration, shock, and vibro-acoustics testing, and was carried out in accordance with NASA standards and process qualifications. Detailed post-test inspections verified the STM met all success criteria, verifying the structural design is ready for the mission to the Moon.

"This is a major step towards verifying the Peregrine design, and I'm really proud that our team was able to meet aggressive schedules while operating under the strict safety protocols required during the pandemic," Sharad Bhaskaran, Mission Director for Peregrine Mission One.

Moving forward, the STM will be used for Peregrine Mission One landing stability testing and future mission configuration studies. Flight structure manufacturing for the mission will begin this fall.

With payloads from 6 countries on board for the first mission, and a recent $199.5 million new contract win from NASA, Astrobotic is expanding operations and growing its team. Career opportunities are available now at the Astrobotic website. The nation's best technical talent is invited to come make history with their team.

posted 04-20-2022 03:40 PM               

Astrobotic Unveils Peregrine Lunar Lander Flight Model

Astrobotic unveiled the flight model of its Peregrine lunar lander on Wednesday morning during a visit by top NASA and government officials to the company's headquarters. The flight model, as opposed to earlier test models, is the version of Peregrine that will actually fly to the Moon on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket. Its unveiling is a sign of Peregrine's state of readiness as it moves closer to its launch date, scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year. Peregrine is the first lander in NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to unveil its flight model, and could become the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon since the Apollo program.

Above: John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO, with Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander. (Astrobotic)

Attendees of Peregrine's unveiling included Congressman Matt Cartwright, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator and former U.S. senator, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, and James Reuter, Associate Administrator for the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate. The officials also attended the inaugural conference of the Keystone Space Collaborative, a consortium of Pennsylvania companies dedicated to growing the local commercial space industry, of which Astrobotic is a member.

Peregrine's unveiling took place at Astrobotic's Pittsburgh, PA, headquarters, an approximately 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility dedicated to developing and operating lunar spacecraft. Because the flight model must be kept free of contamination of sensitive spacecraft components, attendees were required to suit up in white coveralls and hairnets to enter the cleanroom where Peregrine is being assembled.

Above: Pictured left to right: Congressman Matt Cartwright, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Science Associate Administrator Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, John Thornton Astrobotic CEO, Jim Reuter NASA Space Technology Associate Administrator, Justine Kasznica Founding Board Chair of the Keystone Space Collaborative. (Astrobotic)

"This lunar lander build is a dream come true," said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. "This is why our company was founded 15 years ago. It represents the culmination of countless hours over many years by hundreds of people to design and assemble the lander, to create the lunar delivery market, and to establish the facilities and supply chain needed to ensure the success of commercial space missions like Peregrine's long into the future."

Also present in the cleanroom were the 24 payloads that Peregrine will be delivering to the lunar surface. These include scientific instruments from three national space agencies – including 11 from NASA alone – a rover from Carnegie Mellon University, several payloads from commercial companies, and cultural messages from individuals around the Earth. The payloads are already integrated onto Peregrine's flight decks, which are awaiting installation on the greater lander. Once Peregrine's integration is complete, it will head to spacecraft environmental testing, before being shipped to Cape Canaveral in Florida to begin its final preparations for launch in Q4 2022.

posted 08-16-2022 09:31 AM               

NASA's Deep Space Network Ground Testing with Peregrine a Success

Last month, the Deep Space Network (DSN) from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) successfully completed end-to-end test communications with Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander. These tests demonstrated compatibility with space-to-ground communications that will occur during Peregrine's mission to the Moon.

After the Peregrine spacecraft separates from United Launch Alliance (ULA)'s Vulcan Centaur rocket, Peregrine will be utilizing DSN's 34-meter dishes at Canberra, Australia; Madrid, Spain; and Goldstone, California. These dishes are the same suite used to communicate with the James Webb Telescope, as well as historic missions such as New Horizons, Solar Parker Probe, InSight, Juno, and MAVEN.

"Our team has completed a major test with the DSN global network and Astrobotic's communication systems including flight avionics, ground support software, and mission ops infrastructure. We successfully passed commands, received telemetry, and determined ranging performance. The sense of accomplishment was palpable when the screens of our Mission Control center were illuminated by real telemetry coming from our spacecraft," said Eduardo Lugo, Astrobotic Lead RF Engineer.

Testing with Peregrine and DSN was conducted over two weeks, culminating in confirmation that Peregrine can successfully transmit data and receive commands through DSN and to Astrobotic's Mission Control Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"This success marks a major program milestone for Peregrine mission as well as for Astrobotic as a company. Confirming the technical capabilities of our team and our custom-built avionics and communications systems in a sophisticated, system-level spacecraft test was a tremendous success. Seeing the entire team overcome test challenges felt close to flying the actual mission. This is a great accomplishment for our historic trip to the Moon," says Ander Solorzano, Astrobotic's Lead Systems Engineer and one of the Flight Directors for Peregrine Mission One.

Peregrine's progress continues as its Space Robotics team also successfully integrated the OPAL Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) compute hardware and associated camera to Peregrine's flight decks. TRN is designed to enable precise and safe landings on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The system will be leveraged again on Astrobotic's Griffin Mission One. In addition to TRN, all twenty-four of Peregrine's payloads have also been integrated with its flight decks.

The Peregrine spacecraft continues its final assembly at Astrobotic's headquarters and is currently on schedule for final environmental testing before delivery to the launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

posted 11-16-2022 08:56 AM               

Peregrine Spacecraft On the Move

Astrobotic announced today (Nov. 16) the Peregrine lunar lander has left their headquarters for the last time. The spacecraft is now headed to test facilities for final acceptance testing before its first launch to the Moon in Q1 2023.

Peregrine's acceptance campaign will subject the spacecraft to a battery of industry-standard tests that will prove Peregrine can endure the launch environment aboard United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket, as well as the harsh environments of space and the lunar surface. These spacecraft-level tests follow years of prototyping, engineering analyses, modeling, simulations, and sub-assembly tests that provide high confidence in the fully assembled vehicle.

"A few years ago, we were an 18-person team with a dream. Today, Astrobotic's 200+ staff and our payload customers can celebrate as our Peregrine lander continues its historic mission to lead America back to the Moon for the first time in 50 years," says John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO.

Slated to be the first commercial lunar lander to ever soft land on the Moon, Peregrine is carrying payloads from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative that was awarded in 2019. Though Astrobotic had payload customers prior to NASA, that win propelled the Peregrine program forward. Despite the pandemic slowing supply chains and disrupting workflow during critical program phases, the team managed to progress quickly toward Peregrine's upcoming delivery to ULA.

"The space industry can move slowly sometimes – but our nimble engineering team proved their dedication and worked around the clock to ensure we met our deadlines," says Sharad Bhaskaran, Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One Director. "There are folks finishing up Peregrine that were here since its inception. We've added a dedication plaque with all of our signatures to honor that work– every person is important to achieving our mission to the Moon."

After acceptance testing, Peregrine will be shipped to Cape Canaveral, Florida for integration with Vulcan Centaur. After launch, Peregrine will separate from the rocket and Astrobotic's Mission Control Center (AMCC) will then navigate the spacecraft to the Moon for landing. The AMCC will then complete the mission by supporting lunar surface science operations.

posted 12-08-2022 09:03 AM               

Peregrine Aces Vibration, Acoustics Testing for Upcoming Lunar Journey

Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander has successfully passed its first two acceptance tests, a critical milestone on its path to flight.

Above: Astrobotic and Dayton T. Brown staff lowering Peregrine onto a mass properties table. (Jimmy Kelly/Flight On Entertainment)

Acceptance testing was conducted at the Dayton T. Brown, Inc. commercial test facility in Bohemia, NY. The campaign included sine vibration, and acoustics testing and proved that Peregrine can withstand the flight environment of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur, the launch vehicle for Peregrine Mission One.

"The completion of environmental testing marks a critical step forward in our program. This testing ensured the spacecraft is fully capable of meeting the rough environments it will feel during launch, transit, and landing on the Moon. Successfully completing this harsh testing shows how much preparation, hard work, and perseverance our team has put into this mission. It takes a great team to complete the testing, let alone to do it without a single issue arising," says Pete Frye, Mechanical and Fluid Systems Manager at Astrobotic.

Above: The Peregrine lunar lander undergoing vibration testing. (Jimmy Kelly/Flight On Entertainment)

Sine vibration testing replicates the low frequency vibrations the lander will be subjected to through its mounting adapter inside the Vulcan Centaur fairing during liftoff and as Vulcan leaves Earth's atmosphere. Acoustic testing subjects the lander to the sound pressure waves it will encounter within the fairing during those same phases. These industry-standard tests confirm the lander's structure and propulsion system along with the lander's many sensitive avionics, optics, and payloads will survive this intense loading environment as Vulcan delivers it to space.

"The Astrobotic team is working tirelessly to an aggressive schedule for delivery to the launch site, and in fact these recent tests were completed ahead of schedule. The momentum to launch is apparent in the team's excitement," says Sharad Bhaskaran, Mission Director for Peregrine Mission One.

Above: Astrobotic staff prepare Peregrine for acoustics testing. (Astrobotic)

Peregrine is currently undergoing electromagnetic interference (EMI/EMC) testing. Then, the spacecraft will be sent to thermal vacuum testing before it arrives in Cape Canaveral, Florida for integration with ULA's Vulcan Centaur. Launch is scheduled for Q1 2023.

posted 12-20-2022 09:12 AM               

Peregrine EMI Testing a Success and Ahead of Schedule

Astrobotic announced today (Dec. 20) that their Peregrine lunar lander has completed electromagnetic interference (EMI/EMC) testing early and will arrive back at their headquarters on December 23.

Above: Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander undergoing EMI/EMC testing at Dayton T. Brown Inc's commercial facility.

Originally, Peregrine was to spend the next week at Dayton T. Brown Inc.'s facility in Bohemia, New York to complete residual integration activities and prepare for thermal vacuum chamber (TVAC) testing. Because the test campaign is ahead of schedule, Peregrine will be brought back to Pittsburgh to give employees an opportunity to be home for the holidays.

"I commend the test teams who worked tirelessly to identify opportunities for an efficient campaign. Peregrine's journey back to Pittsburgh also gives the public an opportunity to see the Peregrine spacecraft one last time before it continues on to TVAC testing, then to Florida for a Q1 2023 launch," says Sharad Bhaskaran, Mission Director for Peregrine Mission One.

EMI/EMC testing checked the electromagnetic compatibility between the Peregrine lander and United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket. The radiated emissions tests proved that Peregrine does not emit electromagnetic energy harmful to the Vulcan rocket, while radiated susceptibility ensured Peregrine can operate properly after being subjected to electromagnetic energy emitted by Vulcan. Finally, "Self Compatibility" testing confirms the spacecraft will function nominally during standard flight operations.

"As Peregrine's first EMI/EMC test campaign, passing against all reviewed test criteria is a major company accomplishment. It really exhibits the skill, experience, and determination of our engineers and technicians," said Yoonhee Steadman, Lead Spacecraft Electrical Integration and Test Engineer at Astrobotic.

The Peregrine spacecraft will be sent to thermal vacuum testing before it arrives in Cape Canaveral, Florida for integration with ULA's Vulcan Centaur.

posted 01-25-2023 08:38 AM               

Peregrine TVAC Testing Successful, Awaiting Green Light for ULA Launch

Astrobotic announced today that its Peregrine lunar lander has successfully completed its entire flight acceptance campaign. Peregrine is now ready to be shipped to Cape Canaveral, Florida when Astrobotic's rocket provider, United Launch Alliance (ULA), gives the green light to receive it.

"Peregrine Mission One's (PM1) flight acceptance campaign was completed on schedule and exceeded expectations. These tests ultimately proved the quality of Peregrine's design and workmanship over the full assembly and integration campaign. Everyone worked diligently, even through holidays, for this incredible achievement," says Sharad Bhaskaran, Astrobotic's PM1 Mission Director.

The final hurdle, thermal-vacuum (TVAC) testing, proved that Peregrine can survive and operate in the thermal and vacuum conditions of space. The spacecraft was subjected to extreme hot and cold temperatures in the thermal vacuum chamber to simulate conditions during its mission. All spacecraft components were functionally tested as well to demonstrate flight-like operations.

Peregrine will be at Astrobotic headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on public display beginning this Thursday, January 26. Visitors can visit the conjoining Moonshot Museum to catch a glimpse of the spacecraft until ULA is ready to receive it in Cape Canaveral, Florida for its journey to the Moon.

posted 02-03-2023 09:11 AM               

New Landing Site Will Upgrade Science Returns for Astrobotic Flight

Through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, NASA is working with American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon's surface and orbit. The science investigations and technology demonstrations delivered to the lunar surface through CLPS are part of the agency's broader goal of returning humans to the Moon through Artemis, and the success of CLPS could help further establish American leadership in the global and commercial space industries.

Astrobotic's first orders for scientific payload delivery were awarded in May 2019. Astrobotic will deliver NASA payloads on its first flight to the lunar surface using the company's Peregrine lunar lander. These NASA payloads will investigate specific aspects in and around the landing site. Astrobotic also will carry some non-NASA payloads from other organizations.

The original landing site for Astrobotic's flight within Lacus Mortis, which is in the northeast quadrant of the lunar nearside of the Moon, was chosen by Astrobotic to suit its lander performance and safety, as well as Astrobotic's preferences. However, as NASA's Artemis activities mature, it became evident the agency could increase the scientific value of the NASA payloads if they were delivered to a different location.

The science and technology payloads planned for this delivery to the Moon presented NASA scientists with a valuable opportunity, prompting the relocation of the landing site to a mare – an ancient hardened lava flow – outside of the Gruithuisen Domes, a geologic enigma along the mare/highlands boundary on the northeast border of Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms, the largest dark spot on the Moon. The Domes are suspected to have been formed by a sticky magma rich in silica, similar in composition to granite.

On Earth, formations like these need significant water content and plate tectonics to form, but without these key ingredients on the Moon, lunar scientists have been left to wonder how these domes formed and evolved over time.

With the selection of the Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE), a suite of instruments that will investigate the origin and composition of the Gruithuisen Domes in 2026 on a separate CLPS delivery, relocation of Astrobotic's Peregrine CLPS flight to a mare near the Domes will present complementary and meaningful data to Lunar-VISE without introducing additional risk to the lander.

posted 10-31-2023 08:31 AM               

Peregrine Arrives in Florida for Launch Preparations

Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander to be integrated for ULA's Inaugural Vulcan launch on Dec. 24

Astrobotic announced today (Oct. 31) the Peregrine lunar lander has arrived safely in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft was unloaded at Astrotech facilities where it will be integrated with the United Launch Alliance (ULA)'s Vulcan for launch on December 24, 2023.

"It's incredible to realize that we are just a few short weeks away from our Peregrine spacecraft beginning its journey to the Moon," says John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO, "After years of dedication and hard work, we are so close to having our moonshot. We invite you to follow along as Peregrine, with seven countries represented aboard, launches to the Moon and attempts one of the first successful landings of an American spacecraft since Apollo."

Peregrine is carrying 21 payloads from governments, companies, universities, and NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Peregrine's full manifest can be found here.

"As we know, space is a difficult environment. We're ready for launch after successfully completing a battery of industry-standard acceptance testing so Peregrine has the best chance for mission success," says Sharad Bhaskaran, Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One Director. "Peregrine and the team are ready. After launch, we will separate from the Vulcan Centaur and establish power and communications with the spacecraft to guide it to the Moon. Then, we will attempt a historic autonomous landing on the lunar surface."

After Peregrine's integration with Vulcan, the launch vehicle is slated to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41 (LC-41). Once Peregrine separates from the ULA rocket, Astrobotic's Mission Control Center (AMCC) will take control of Peregrine. Astrobotic will then attempt a soft landing at the Gruithuisen Domes and support lunar surface payload operations for payload customers for approximately 10 days.

posted 12-19-2023 08:49 AM               

Astrobotic Peregrine Fueled and Ready for Lunar Mission

Fueled and integrated with ULA's Vulcan rocket, Peregrine is targeting launch on January 8, 2024.

Astrobotic announced today (Dec. 19) their Peregrine lunar lander successfully completed all integration milestones and was mated with United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket payload adapter on November 16, 2023. After a 3-week campaign to fuel and complete final checkouts, the Peregrine spacecraft is ready to launch a historic mission to the Moon on January 8, 2024.

Above: Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance

"I have high praise for the professionalism, dedication, and technical expertise demonstrated by the Astrobotic team throughout the complex multi-year Peregrine development program. Evolving Peregrine from a paper concept to a fully tested spacecraft ready for launch is a remarkable achievement for a small business," said Sharad Bhaskaran, Peregrine Mission One Director. 

Peregrine is Astrobotic's first lander mission, and the team plans to become the first commercial company to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The lander carries a total of 20 payloads, or cargo, including 5 from NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The payload teams have missions that vary from seeking indications of water-ice near the lunar surface to demonstrating a rover swarm. The lander also has several payloads representing humanity through artwork and historical artifacts.

"If you've been following the lunar industry, you understand landing on the Moon's surface is incredibly difficult. With that said, our team has continuously surpassed expectations and demonstrated incredible ingenuity during flight reviews, spacecraft testing, and major hardware integrations," says John Thornton, Astrobotic CEO. "We are ready for launch, and for landing." 

After launch, Peregrine has a long checklist of milestones to complete on its way to the Moon. The first handful will be executed shortly after launch, when the spacecraft will separate from the rocket, power on, and establish communications with Earth. At this stage, telemetry flowed through the NASA Deep Space Network system to the Astrobotic Mission Control Center in Pittsburgh will start informing the mission control team of the spacecraft's position, orientation, and general operational health. 

About 40 minutes after separation from ULA's Vulcan rocket, Peregrine's propulsion system will activate and begin receiving commands from Astrobotic's Mission Control Center. One of the first commands will initiate thrusters to point Peregrine's solar panels at the Sun to begin charging its battery. During cruise, the team will orchestrate trajectory adjustment maneuvers in Earth orbit before lunar orbit insertion.  Peregrine will then dwell in a stable orbit and perform system checkouts before attempting a historic landing on February 23, 2024.

posted 01-08-2024 05:07 AM               

Astrobotic's Peregrine Launches to the Moon

Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One has successfully launched to the Moon. Peregrine is now flying solo on its way to the Moon, where it will attempt a lunar landing on February 23, 2024. Peregrine could become the first commercial lander, and first American lander in over 50 years, to land on the Moon.

At 2:18 a.m. EST on January 8, 2024, the company's Peregrine Lunar Lander lifted off on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Peregrine launched on Vulcan's maiden flight, known as Cert-1. Vulcan lifted Peregrine to an altitude of approximately 500 km above the Earth, where, at approximately 50 minutes after launch, the lander separated from the rocket and successfully powered on. Following separation, Astrobotic successfully contacted the lander and began receiving telemetry.

"Today Peregrine Mission One achieved a number of big milestones," said John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic. "Peregrine powered on, acquired a signal with Earth, and is now moving through space on its way to the Moon. These successes bring us one step closer to seven nations landing on the Moon, six of which have never been to the Moon before."

Peregrine Mission One is the first successful launch under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The mission is delivering scientific instruments and payloads to the Moon's Gruithuisen Domes region. The NASA instruments aboard Peregrine will help NASA prepare for the Artemis program's missions to enable a sustained human presence on the Moon.

Peregrine is carrying a total of 20 payloads from seven nations and 16 commercial customers. The payloads come from space agencies, universities, companies, and individuals across the globe. This includes the first lunar surface payloads from the Mexican and German space agencies, and the first lunar payloads from the countries of the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Seychelles. One of the payloads, DHL MoonBox, contains mementos and messages from over 100,000 individuals around the world.

The Peregrine lander itself, which was assembled at Astrobotic's headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, includes parts manufactured by hundreds of suppliers from across the US, including 184 companies in Pennsylvania alone.

"Astrobotic would like to thank its suppliers, customers, sponsors, supporters, and 250-employee team, who have worked tirelessly for years to make this moment possible," said Thornton.

Following Peregrine Mission One, Astrobotic plans to continue its lunar exploration efforts with the launch of Griffin Mission One in late 2024. Griffin, the largest lunar lander since the Apollo lunar module, will carry NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) to the south pole of the Moon. On arrival, VIPER will search for the presence of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions of Mons Mouton.

posted 01-08-2024 08:37 AM               

Anomaly prevents stable sun tracking

After successfully separating from United Launce Alliance's Vulcan rocket, Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander began receiving telemetry via the NASA Deep Space Network. Astrobotic-built avionics systems, including the primary command and data handling unit, as well as the thermal, propulsion, and power controllers, all powered on and performed as expected. After successful propulsion systems activation, Peregrine entered a safe operational state.

Unfortunately, an anomaly then occurred, which prevented Astrobotic from achieving a stable sun-pointing orientation. The team is responding in real time as the situation unfolds and will be providing updates as more data is obtained and analyzed.

posted 01-08-2024 10:09 AM               

Troubleshooting the issue

We continue to gather data and report our best assessment of what we see. The team believes that the likely cause of the unstable sun-pointing is a propulsion anomaly that, if proven true, threatens the abilitv of the spacecraft to soft land on the Moon.

As the team fights to troubleshoot the issue, the spacecraft battery is reaching operationally low levels. Just before entering a known period of communication outage, the team developed and executed an improvised maneuver to reorient the solar panels toward the Sun. Shortly after this maneuver, the spacecraft entered an expected period of communication loss.

We will provide more updates as Peregrine comes in view of the ground station again.

posted 01-08-2024 11:40 AM               

Communications restored

We have successfully re-established communications with Peregrine after the known communication blackout. The team's improvised maneuver was successful in reorienting Peregrine's solar array towards the Sun. We are now charging the battery.

The Mission Anomaly Board continues to evaluate the data we're receiving and is assessing the status of what we believe to be the root of the anomaly: a failure within the propulsion system.

posted 01-08-2024 12:11 PM               

Critical loss of propellant

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.

posted 01-08-2024 03:39 PM               

Peregrine's first in-space photograph

We've received the first image from Peregrine in space! The camera utilized is mounted atop a payload deck and shows Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) in the foreground. The disturbance of the MLI is 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.

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 later this evening.

posted 01-09-2024 11:19 AM               

Ongoing propellant leak

An ongoing propellant leak is causing the spacecraft's Attitude Control System (ACS) thrusters to operate well beyond their expected service life cycles to keep the lander from an uncontrollable tumble. 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 consumption.

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.

posted 01-09-2024 11:33 AM               

No chance of a soft moon landing

The Peregrine spacecraft has now been operational for about 32 hours.

Overnight, the team faced another spacecraft pointing issue, but continues to persevere. The spacecraft started to tilt away from the Sun and reduced its solar power generation. The team was able to update the control algorithm and fix this issue. The batteries are at full charge.

Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the Moon. However, we do still have enough propellant to continue to operate the vehicle as a spacecraft. The team has updated its estimates, and we currently expect to run out of propellant in about 40 hours from now — an improvement from last night's estimate.

The team continues to work to find ways to extend Peregrine's operational life. We are in a stable operating mode and are working payload and spacecraft tests and checkouts. We continue receiving valuable data and proving spaceflight operations for components and software relating to our next lunar lander mission, Griffin.

posted 01-09-2024 07:44 PM               

Working theory as to what went wrong

Astrobotic's current hypothesis about the Peregrine spacecraft's propulsion anomaly is that a valve between the helium pressurant and the oxidizer failed to reseal after actuation during initialization. This led to a rush of high-pressure helium that spiked the pressure in the oxidizer tank beyond its operating limit and subsequently ruptured the tank. While this is a working theory, a full analysis report will be produced by a formal review board made up of industry experts after the mission is complete. All available data is being downloaded from the lander to support this assessment.

ULA's Vulcan rocket inserted Peregrine into the planned translunar trajectory without issue. There is no indication that the propulsion anomaly occurred as a result of the launch.

posted 01-09-2024 09:58 PM               

DHL, Pocari Sweat as seen in space

We received another beautiful image from Peregrine's journey! Is that sliver in the upper right corner Earth or a lens flare?

The camera that took this image is located on the bottom of one of Peregrine's payload decks. Just left of center in the image is the DHL MoonBox payload covered in MLI, which contains hundreds of thousands of messages from the people of Earth.

Visible to the right of MoonBox and near the bottom center of the photo is Astroscale's Pocari Sweat Lunar Dream Time Capsule — this was the first payload under contract with Astrobotic and contains messages from children around the world.

The bottom center right of the image shows one of Peregrine's landing legs obscured by the electrical interface where we were connected with the launch vehicle.

posted 01-10-2024 11:28 AM               

Approaching lunar distance

Peregrine has been operational in space for 55 hours. We are at an approximate distance of 192,000 miles from Earth, which is 80% of the way to lunar distance. Although we are approaching lunar distance, the Moon won't be there. We remain on our nominal trajectory for the mission, which includes a phasing loop around Earth. This loop goes out to lunar distance, swings back around the Earth, and then cruises out to meet the Moon. This trajectory reaches the Moon in about 15 days post-launch.

Peregrine continues to leak propellant but remains operationally stable and continues to gather valuable data. We estimate that we will run out of propellant in about 35 hours, an improvement on yesterday's update. The team is working around the clock to generate options to extend the spacecraft's life.

posted 01-11-2024 02:02 AM               

200,000 miles from Earth

Our flight dynamics team has confirmed that the curved sliver in the image taken on our first day of operations is, in fact, Earth! This image from our spacecraft simulator shows the camera's view of Earth at the time the photo was taken.

Peregrine remains stable and fully charged. The spacecraft continues to transmit valuable data. We are now 200,000 miles from Earth, which is about 84% of the way to lunar distance.

Starting at around 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday (Jan. 10), we will enter an expected 9-hour period of Loss of Signal, our longest period without communication yet. We expect to re-establish communication with the spacecraft again at around 4 a.m. EST Thursday. We estimate that the spacecraft has about 36 hours of propellant remaining, another improvement since Wednesday morning.

posted 01-11-2024 09:13 AM               

Peregrine payloads power on

As Peregrine emerges from a planned communications blackout with NASA's DSN ground network, we're pleased to announce the team's efforts to gather payload data have been fruitful. We have successfully received data from all 9 payloads designed to communicate with the lander. All 10 payloads requiring power have received it, while the remaining 10 payloads aboard the spacecraft are passive.

These payloads have now been able to prove operational capability in space and payload teams are analyzing the impact of this development now. We are proud of the mission team for achieving this incredible feat under such challenging circumstances. Below are a list of payloads that have received power:

• (pictured above) Iris Lunar Rover from Carnegie Mellon University. At the bottom of the overexposed image sent from Peregrine in space are the Iris rover's wheels. To its left is a fuel tank with the American flag.
  
• COLMENA from LINX-UNAM (together with Agencia Espacial Mexicana (AEM))
  
• M-42 Radiation Detector from the German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  
• Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) from NASA's Johnson Space Center
  
• Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) from NASA's Ames Research Center
  
• Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) from NASA's Ames Research Center
  
• Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, The Open University (OU), NASA, and the European Space Agency(ESA).
  
• Pocari Sweat's Lunar Dream Time Capsule from Astroscale
  
• Optical Precision Autonomous Landing (OPAL) TRN sensor from Astrobotic
  
• (a subsystem) Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL) from NASA's Langley Research Center

posted 01-12-2024 12:34 PM               

Science status and slowing leak rate

Since receiving power and telemetry, the Iris Rover payload (pictured) has sent a message from space (pictured).

NASA has also released a preliminary science assessment:

"Two of the payloads, NSS and LETS, are making measurements of the radiation environment in interplanetary space around the Earth and the Moon. The two instruments are measuring different components of the radiation spectrum, which provide complementary insights into the galactic cosmic ray activity and space weather resulting from solar activity. This data helps characterize the interplanetary radiation environment for humans and electronics."

We currently estimate that the spacecraft has about 48 hours of propellant remaining, which is a significant improvement from yesterday. Our estimates for propellant life expectancy have been changing because the rate of the leak has slowed more than anticipated. A slowing leak rate is expected as the pressure drops, but there may be some change in the size of the propulsion system's rupture as the pressure decreases or some other factor making it difficult to predict.

Peregrine has been operating in space for 3 and a half days. It is now 225,000 miles from Earth, which is 94% of lunar distance.

posted 01-12-2024 12:36 PM               

Optimistic outlook

Peregrine has now been operational in space for more than 4 days. The spacecraft remains stable and operational, and is currently in a planned loss-of-signal period for about another hour and a half. The leak rate on Peregrine has continued to slow, and the spacecraft is estimated to now have 52 hours of propellant remaining.

Our engineers continue to work on solutions to extend life expectancy and there is growing optimism that Peregrine could survive much longer than the current estimate.

posted 01-13-2024 03:41 PM               

Earth bound

Over the last week, Astrobotic's Mission Control Center has been tracking Peregrine's trajectory. Our analysis efforts have been challenging due to the propellant leak, which have been adding uncertainty to predictions of the vehicle's trajectory. Our latest assessment now shows the spacecraft is on a path towards Earth, where it will likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The team is currently assessing options and we will update as soon as we are able.

The propellant leak has slowed considerably to a point where it is no longer the teams' top priority. A reminder that a soft landing on the Moon is not possible. We have now been operating in space for 5 days and 8 hours and are about 242,000 miles from Earth.

posted 01-14-2024 04:42 PM               

Operational at lunar distance

Peregrine remains operational and have flown past 238,000 miles from Earth, which means that we have reached lunar distance!

Our original trajectory had us arriving at the moon on day 15 post launch. Our propellant estimates currently have us running out of fuel before this 15-day mark — however, our engineers are still optimistic about extending Peregrine's life expectancy.

Over the last week, Astrobotic's Mission Control Center has been tracking Peregrine's trajectory. Our analysis efforts have been challenging due to the propellant leak, which have been adding uncertainty to predictions of the vehicle's trajectory. Our latest assessment now shows the spacecraft is on a path towards Earth, where it will likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The team is currently assessing options and we will update as soon as we are able.

The propellant leak has slowed considerably to a point where it is no longer the teams' top priority. We have now been operating in space for 5 days and 8 hours and are about 242,000 miles from Earth.

posted 01-15-2024 11:19 AM               

Responsibly ending Peregrine's mission

For 16 years, Astrobotic has been dedicated to making the Moon accessible to the world. The responsible preservation of the cislunar space environment for all is top of mind as we complete this mission. Since the Peregrine lunar lander's anomaly occurred 6 days ago, we have been evaluating how best to safely end the spacecraft's mission to protect satellites in Earth orbit as well as ensure we do not create debris in cislunar space.

Working with NASA, we received inputs from the space community and the U.S. Government on the most safe and responsible course of action to end Peregrine's mission. The recommendation we have received is to let the spacecraft burn up during re-entry in Earth's atmosphere. Since this is a commercial mission, the final decision of Peregrine's final flight path is in our hands. Ultimately, we must balance our own desire to extend Peregrine's life, operate payloads, and learn more about the spacecraft, with the risk that our damaged spacecraft could cause a problem in cislunar space. As such, we have made the difficult decision to maintain the current spacecraft's trajectory to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. By responsibly ending Peregrine's mission, we are doing our part to preserve the future of cislunar space for all.

Despite the propulsion system issue, the Astrobotic Mission Team has worked tirelessly to stabilize the vehicle, turn on all active payloads, and enable the collection of payload data. The spacecraft has been operating in space for 6 days and 16 hours, and Peregrine continues to leak propellant, but now at a very slow rate. Yesterday afternoon, we test fired one of the main engines for the first time. We achieved a 200 millisecond burn and acquired data that indicated Peregrine could have main engine propulsive capability. However, due to the anomaly, the fuel to oxidizer ratio is well outside of the normal operating range of the main engines making long controlled burns impossible. The team projects that the spacecraft has enough remaining propellant to maintain sun pointing and perform small maneuvers.

Astrobotic designed and built hardware, avionics, software, and system architectures that have all performed as expected in space. All payloads designed to power on and communicate did so, and even achieved science objectives. While we believe it is possible for the spacecraft to operate for several more weeks and could potentially have raised the orbit to miss the Earth, we must take into consideration the anomalous state of the propulsion system and utilize the vehicle's onboard capability to end the mission responsibly and safely.

Peregrine will soon return to Earth's atmosphere and the vehicle is now about 234,000 miles away. We are working with NASA to continue updating and evaluating the controlled re-entry path of Peregrine. We do not believe Peregrine's re-entry poses safety risks, and the spacecraft will burn up in Earth's atmosphere. We are validating this through analyses in collaboration with the U.S. Government. We will continue to operate the spacecraft and provide status updates through the end of the mission.

"I am so proud of what our team has accomplished with this mission. It is a great honor to witness firsthand the heroic efforts of our mission control team overcoming enormous challenges to recover and operate the spacecraft after Monday's propulsion anomaly. I look forward to sharing these, and more remarkable stories, after the mission concludes on January 18. This mission has already taught us so much and has given me great confidence that our next mission to the Moon will achieve a soft landing," said Astrobotic CEO, John Thornton.

posted 01-17-2024 05:56 PM               

Planning a safe, controlled re-entry

Astrobotic has positioned the Peregrine spacecraft for a safe, controlled re-entry to Earth over a remote area of the South Pacific. The team has been continuously monitoring our re-entry analysis with NASA, which indicates a re-entry path over the indicated area below, with no anticipated hazards. A safe re-entry is our top priority, so the team developed a two-step maneuver to move the spacecraft and change its projected trajectory.

The first step required a main engine burn. Due to the propulsion anomaly, it was impossible to operate the main engines normally. As such, we developed a plan to fire the main engines with a series of very short burns. We conducted a test burn of all five main engines. Each pulse was spaced out to avoid overheating, allowing our mission control team to monitor results and the spacecraft's status after every burn. Following this, we performed a series of 23 small main engine burns.

Secondly, we adjusted the spacecraft's attitude so the force induced by the leaking propellant shifted us towards the South Pacific Ocean. The result of these two maneuvers is the ellipse in the graphic shown.

The procedures the team executed were to minimize the risk of debris reaching land. Astrobotic continues to work closely with NASA and other relevant government authorities to keep everyone informed and to solicit feedback as appropriate.

Peregrine has been operating in space for 9 days and 16 hours. It is 139,000 miles (223,700 km) from Earth. We expect re-entry to occur at approximately 4pm Thursday, January 18 (US Eastern time).

posted 01-18-2024 11:09 AM               

Earth in view

Peregrine has been operating in space for 10 days and 8 hours and is approximately 30,000 miles above Earth, continuing its controlled re-entry. The trajectory remains on track with our planned path toward a safe area over open water in the South Pacific. The vehicle is stable, operational, and responsive. We remain in contact with appropriate government authorities to keep them informed of the vehicle's position and planned trajectory, which remains unchanged.

The stunning image here of Earth from Peregrine was taken by the mission team this morning. The first attempt to take this photo yielded an oversaturated image, with the Sun making the image too bright to see the Earth. As a result, the team precisely slewed the spacecraft to reposition the Sun to be hidden behind the thin payload deck strut just to the left of Earth, which produced the starburst effects on the vehicle and revealed the Earth's crescent. This image is completely unaltered.

We dedicate this image to our customers, partners, and team who all stood with us throughout Peregrine Mission One.

posted 01-18-2024 11:48 PM               

Loss of contact

As expected, Astrobotic lost telemetry with the Peregrine spacecraft at around 3:50 p.m. EST on Thursday (Jan. 18).

While this indicates the vehicle completed its controlled re-entry over open water in the South Pacific at 4:04 p.m. EST, we await independent confirmation from government entities.

posted 01-19-2024 03:17 PM               

Peregrine Mission One has concluded

This afternoon, Astrobotic received independent confirmation of Peregrine's safe, controlled re-entry yesterday over the South Pacific.

Peregrine Mission One has concluded. We look to the future and our next mission to the Moon, Griffin Mission One. All of the hard-earned experience from the past 10 days in space along with the preceding years of designing, building, and testing Peregrine will directly inform Griffin and our future missions.

Peregrine and its payload teams have made a meaningful contribution to our lunar future, and we thank everyone who supported this mission.

Peregrine has flown so Griffin may land. Ad luna per aspera.