MOON SHOT IN DOUBT

More than half a century after Apollo, the Peregrine lander took off from Cape Canaveral yesterday aboard a new US rocket system. But as of last night, it was struggling with technical issues that could blight the entire mission... and set back America's lunar reunion

- David Whitehouse

THE first US mission in 50 years aimed at a "soft landing" on the Moon was hanging by a thread last night after a critical propulsion system malfunction left the Peregrine lunar lander unable to point its "solar array" at the Sun to generate the power needed to complete its touchdown.

While 2024 has already been dubbed the Year of the Moon by many in the space business, with more than 10 missions, one crewed, headed to Earth's nearest satellite, it appeared increasingly unlikely the ill-fated 1.2-tonne lander would not be among them.

Earlier, a successful launch of the new Vulcan rocket system from Cape Canaveral in Florida had boded well for the most exciting year for lunar exploration since the first human landing in 1969.

America was finally returning to the Moon more than 50 years after it last achieved the task with Apollo 17 in 1972.

Back then, as Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, stepped off the lunar soil he laid down a challenge to future generations to return. "As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come, but we believe not too long into the future...And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return." But Peregrine's mission was last night in doubt. Shortly after launch, the lander experienced technical problems and was unable to orient its solar panels towards the Sun to charge its batteries. Without a constant supply of sunshine to generate electricity, it will run out of power before it can land. US-based Astrobotic revealed Peregrine Mission One (PM1) had suffered a failure within the propulsion system following the launch.