Oddbean

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander still operating on orbit, defying all odds ========== Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is still operational in space, defying all odds. The spacecraft has been operational for more than four days despite encountering a dire fuel leak in its propellant system. The estimated operational time remaining continues to extend, with the company updating the estimate from 36 hours to 52 hours as the leak slows. Astrobotic has received critical data from many of the payloads on board, including scientific payloads from NASA, the German Aerospace Center, and the European Space Agency. The remaining payloads on board are passive and do not require power or communications from the spacecraft. While a soft landing on the moon is not possible and the spacecraft's lifetime will be shortened due to the leak, extending its operational life is still a positive outcome for the Astrobotic team and the payload contributors. #Astrobotic #PeregrineLunarLander #Spacecraft #FuelLeak #PropellantSystem #Payloads #Nasa #GermanAerospaceCenter #EuropeanSpaceAgency https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/12/astrobotics-peregrine-lunar-lander-still-operating-on-orbit-defying-all-odds/