For the first time since Apollo more than 50 years ago America is going back to the Moon. Get ready to hear plenty about Astrobotic, Peregrine, ULA, and Vulcan in the coming hours, days, and weeks. There is a lot riding on the mission and there’s even a bit of controversy.
(Credit: ULA)
This is not a NASA mission. It’s a private company in Pittsburgh that is set to take the US back to the lunar surface. Astrobotic’s flight is the first-ever commercial lunar mission. Its Peregrine lander will carry some NASA cargo and payloads from plenty of other companies and countries paying for a ride to the Moon.
Astrobotic was founded 16 years ago and has been working on a lunar lander ever since. The other day, the CEO went out to the launch pad and saw his lander atop a 200-foot rocket. “Here we are on the launchpad,”
, adding, “We’re thrilled… It really does mean a lot. We are just so excited that we do have this opportunity [to return the US to the Moon] It’s a storybook story."
A new rocket will be launching for the first time to carry that lander and its payloads to the lunar surface. This is actually the first flight test. The Vulcan Centaur is a heavy-lift rocket that has been under development by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for a decade. While it’s called a new rocket, the Vulcan is actually an upgraded Atlas V, which has been a workhorse in the joint venture run by Boeing and Lockheed and launches for the Defense Department. Vulcan does have some new engines. The first stage will be powered by two BE-4 engines, which are a product of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space company.
ULA Vice President Gary Wentz told reporters his company is, “excited to be their ride to space,” for this historic mission. Will the rocket work? It was supposed to fly in 2019 and cost more than expected. Wentz spoke confidently, saying the two companies have, “200 years of combined experience.”
Launch is set for 2:18 AM EST Monday. If all goes well, the lander will quickly be sent on its way to the Moon. Landing won’t come until February 23. Peregrine will spend some time just orbiting the Moon. The reason is that Astrobotic wants good light at the landing location and that is the best day to try and land on the surface. It’s not easy. There have been several failures to land unmanned craft on the Moon the past several years.
Thornton says the one hour landing process will be, “exciting, nail biting, and terrifying all at once.” Astrobotic charges $1.2 million to get one kilogram of cargo to the surface of the Moon.
NASA has five payload experiments on board. The space agency wants to know if there are water molecules on the surface of the moon. Other equipment on board will detect how much radiation and what kind of gases are around the lander. The Peregrin is also carrying a reflector. It will allow scientists to use lasers that help them study the Moon. A similar experiment was placed on the Moon by Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (I talked to one of the original scientists on that project).
In all Peregrine will carry 21 payloads. Two of those have proven controversial. Two companies, in the business of “memorial flights” are carrying the remains or DNA of several people. Late last month the head of the Navajo nation sent a letter to the Biden Administration asking that this flight be delayed. “It is crucial to emphasize that the Moon holds a sacred position in many Indigenous cultures, including ours,” wrote Navajo President Buu Nygren. He pointed out this issue came up more than 20 years ago and NASA should have consulted with the Navajo Nation.
The White House, according to CNN, agreed to a last minute meeting to discuss the mission with the Navajo Nation. No word on the outcome of the meeting, which CNN suggests happened recently.
While reaching the Moon may seem anticlimactic after the Apollo missions, this is a new effort to learn if humans can stay on the Moon for longer periods of time. Can water be found? Can ice be turned into water and fuel?
It’s not NASA’s mission, but the space agency believes this is the way forward. “We’re really confident US industry can do this,” said NASA’s Joel Kearns. “We’re really confident in the approach.”
The countdown is underway.
Great piece. Space exploration is exciting! Seems a pretty good collaboration between private industry and NASA. Glad to see that. Interesting little twist with the Navajo Nation and the remains of a few stardusters!