Why did Peregrine mission fail? NASA unveils details

NASA has reported that the main engines of the Peregrine lunar module were shut down due to the improper operation of the helium supply valve. However, the plans for the launch of the Griffin lunar module by the American company Astrobotic remain unchanged.

"One of the final steps in preparing the engines is to open the valve for supplying helium to the fuel and oxidizer. The valve between helium and oxidizer functioned incorrectly and released helium into the oxidizer," said NASA's Joel Kerns, a member of the scientific missions department.

According to him, everything happened quickly, and approximately a minute later, the pressure in the section where the oxidizer is located exceeded the strength reserve of the tank. After that, it could crack, leading to fuel loss.

Kerns explained that despite this setback, the launch of the Griffin module is scheduled for November. By that time, specialists hope to fully understand the problems that led to the failure of the Peregrine mission. "We want to ensure that such an anomaly will not occur again. We will also consider all the achievements of the Peregrine mission in working on the Griffin program to ensure its success," noted a NASA representative.

On January 8, the United Launch Alliance launched the Vulcan Centaur rocket with Astrobotic's Peregrine module. The spacecraft is intended to deliver NASA instruments, hardware wallets with DOGE and BTC, test rovers, memorial capsules, drawings, photographs, and culturally significant items to the surface of the Moon.

The next day, the company admitted that the fuel leak on Peregrine left no chance for a soft landing on the lunar surface. On January 14, Astrobotic announced that specialists decided to attempt a controlled re-entry of Peregrine into Earth's atmosphere for the safe disposal of the spacecraft and preservation of the lunar space environment.

On January 19, it became known that the spacecraft successfully made a controlled entry into Earth's atmosphere for safe disposal.