The Peregrine Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS), a NASA instrument with components developed in the UK by the Open University and RAL Space, performed well in check-out tests. This technology holds the potential to fly again on future lunar missions.
Intuitive Machines
As Astrobotic reflects on the lessons learned from the Peregrine mission, the next U.S. company gearing up for a soft lunar landing attempt is Intuitive Machines.
Based in Houston, Intuitive Machines plans to launch its Nova-C craft towards the lunar south pole in the coming month.
The landscape of lunar exploration is evolving with private-public partnerships, and the collaboration between NASA and commercial ventures like Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, and Firefly is set to continue with planned missions to the lunar surface in 2024.
Soft Lunar Landing Planned
Astrobotic remains committed to lunar exploration and is slated to get a second chance later this year when it attempts to land a NASA rover named Viper.
