The Astrobotic’s mission encountered challenges shortly after its launch on January 8, with a propulsion fault jeopardizing the entire mission. Despite the setbacks, the mission operated for over 10 days in space, showcasing resilience and ingenuity in problem-solving.
Learning from Challenges
The fault that plagued Peregrine was traced back to leaking propellant from a ruptured oxidizer tank.
This leakage generated thrust, causing the craft to turn and preventing it from keeping its solar panels oriented toward the Sun—a crucial aspect for maintaining a stable power supply.
Engineers and scientists worked diligently to diagnose and address the issue, successfully restoring stability to the craft.
Sian Cleaver, Airbus’ Orion European Service Module industrial manager, highlighted the significance of this mission on the BBC’s Today Program.
Despite the challenges faced, she emphasized viewing it as an “incredible engineering success” rather than a failure.
Data Gathering
While the soft lunar landing goal remained elusive, the Peregrine mission did achieve some noteworthy outcomes. Payloads onboard were activated, demonstrating their space-worthiness, and some instruments successfully gathered data.
