Critical fuel leak derails US return to the Moon after 50‑year hiatus

On February 23, the Peregrine lander was supposed to land on the Moon's surface, carrying nearly 198 pounds of research equipment to the celestial body. This mission held scientific importance and symbolic resonance, representing the United States’ return to the Moon after over a 50-year hiatus.

After the termination of the Apollo program in 1972, with its last mission being Apollo 17, the USA has only sent orbiters to the Moon. On the other hand, India and China (excluding failed missions) have successfully landed their probes on the lunar surface. Additionally, on January 19, the Japanese probe SLIM will attempt to land.

Even with plenty of time until the planned Peregrine landing, it has already become evident, just a few hours post-launch, that the mission will, unfortunately, fail. The control center has confirmed this in a brief communication, stating that the current priority has shifted to "maximizing the scientific data that we can collect".

Notably, the Peregrine landing was supposed to set the stage for the Artemis 2 mission. This mission, a crewed orbiter flight (without a surface landing), is part of the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. Both this mission and the overall manned Moon landing program have experienced delays. So, what went wrong?

The likely reason for the mission's failure – due to the loss of fuel, it is now impractical to operate according to plan – is a leak that occurred after disconnection from the Vulcan rocket.

A malfunction in the propulsion system prevents the lander from correctly orienting itself toward the Sun. Even though the mission control center has adjusted the solar panels to optimize energy production, contact with Peregrine will likely be lost in the next few hours.

Consequently, 90 kg of payload will not make it to the Moon. The Peregrine is an 8.2 by 4.9 feet probe designed to land on the Moon on four legs. It carries five primary scientific instruments developed by NASA, several time capsules, the ashes of 200 individuals, and the DNA of author Arthur C. Clarke. The probe also includes miniature rovers, or a swarm of miniature vehicles (equipment supplied by Mexico), supposed to conduct research in the surrounding area after being deployed from the lander.

It is noteworthy to mention that the Peregrine mission marks the beginning of a new approach to space exploration. It represents the first probe sent as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Instead of building spacecraft in-house, NASA selects from proposals submitted by private entities in the open market.

Regardless of the ultimate duration of the Peregrine mission, it should not be labeled a total failure. This is not just because Astrobotic, the creator of the lander, promises to gather scientific data. The launch of the Vulcan (Vulcan Centaur) rocket, which propelled Peregrine into space, was a success.

The Vulcan is a two-stage rocket, approximately 203 feet long and weighing 1,202,020 lbs., capable of sending a 59,525-pound payload to low orbit (LEO) or a payload of 26,455 lbs. for a lunar expedition.

Blue Origin's BE-4 engines power its first stage, also used in the under-developed, reusable Blue Glenn rocket. The Vulcan's second stage is the Centaur module (Centaur V), which we know from the Atlas rockets, developed in the 1960s by United Launch Alliance.

In addition to the Peregrine mission, after the lander separated from the rocket, Centaur's upper stage was sent to a heliocentric orbit; this allows for pre-emptive testing before its subsequent long space missions. The successful demonstration, from the point of view of the launch vehicle's creators, constitutes the rocket's first (out of two required) certification flight. If both go smoothly, the Vulcan will be deemed capable of executing missions for the US Space Force, thus becoming a contender for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket family.