Final preparations were underway Friday for the launch of the first American spacecraft to attempt a lunar landing in more than 50 years, under a new partnership between NASA and private industry.
United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur rocket rolled out in the morning to its launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, preparing for its maiden flight to blast off on Monday at 2:18 am local time (7:18 a.m. GMT).
Fixed to its top is the Peregrine Lunar Lander, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, which should touch down at a mid-latitude region of the Moon called Sinus Viscositatis, or Bay of Stickiness, in mid-February.
The 62-meter-tall red and white Vulcan Centaur is the successor to ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV launchers, and the company hopes to soon start reusing its first stage booster engines in order to make significant cost savings.
If the mission is successful, it would mark the first time an American robot soft lands on the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, and the first under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
The space agency has paid Astrobotic and another company planning an imminent mission, Intuitive Machines, just shy of $80 million to ship its scientific hardware.
It would also be the first time the private sector succeeds in a feat few countries have achieved: the Soviet Union was first in 1966, then the United States, and since then China and India. Japan and Israel’s recent attempts failed, as has Russia’s.
This whole task is not easy; landing on the moon is extremely difficult, Chris Culbert, CLPS program manager said. The surface of the Moon holds many robotic spacecraft that were not able to land softly and complete their mission.
Making matters more fraught is the fact it is the first launch for ULA’s Vulcan, though the company boasts of a 100 percent success rate in its more than 150 prior launches.
On board Peregrine are a suite of scientific instruments that will probe the lunar environment, helping to pave the way for the return of astronauts under the banner of the NASA-led Artemis program, later this decade.
But it also contains more colorful cargo, including a physical bitcoin, sculptures by the artist Jeff Koons, and, somewhat controversially, DNA and human remains, including those of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the legendary sci-fi author and scientist Arthur C. Clarke.
The Navajo Nation, America’s largest Indigenous tribe, have said sending remains to the Moon desecrates the celestial body and have unsuccessfully pleaded for a delay, while the companies involved have rejected the accusation.
The Vulcan rocket’s upper stage, which will circle the Sun after it deploys the lander, is meanwhile carrying more late cast members of Star Trek, as well as DNA from presidents George Washington, Dwight D Eisenhower and John F Kennedy.
If successful, this mission would be a significant milestone in lunar exploration as well as a testament to the growing role of private industry in space exploration. The scientific instruments on board the Peregrine Lunar Lander will provide valuable data about the Moon’s environment, contributing to our understanding of lunar science.
While the launch of the Vulcan Centaur rocket presents some challenges as it is the first launch for this particular vehicle, United Launch Alliance has a strong track record of successful launches.
With the Artemis program aiming to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade, the data gathered from this mission will help inform future lunar missions and ultimately pave the way for human exploration on the Moon.
As the launch date approaches, the spotlight is on this historic mission, which has captured the attention of space enthusiasts and scientists alike. The successful landing of the Peregrine Lunar Lander would not only mark a major achievement for the United States but also propel the momentum of lunar exploration forward.
While controversies surrounding the inclusion of DNA and human remains on board the lander have sparked debate, the mission itself holds immense potential for scientific discovery and lays the groundwork for future human endeavors in space.
As the countdown begins, all eyes are on Cape Canaveral as the world eagerly awaits the historic launch of the Vulcan Centaur rocket and the subsequent landing of the American lunar lander on the Moon’s surface.
