A Vulcan Centaur carries the Peregrine Moon-landing vehicle into space on January 8. Photo: ULA / EPA
A Vulcan Centaur carries the Peregrine Moon-landing vehicle into space on January 8. Photo: ULA / EPA
A Vulcan Centaur carries the Peregrine Moon-landing vehicle into space on January 8. Photo: ULA / EPA
A Vulcan Centaur carries the Peregrine Moon-landing vehicle into space on January 8. Photo: ULA / EPA

Peregrine Moon lander expected to crash to Earth after wild ride in space


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

A Moon-landing vehicle is expected to crash back to Earth after failing to reach the lunar surface because of a fuel leak.

The Peregrine lander, built by US company Astrobotic, is expected to re-enter the planet's atmosphere on January 19, at 1am, UAE time.

The lander would "re-enter safely" and burn up in Earth's atmosphere, the US company said.

"Astrobotic has positioned the Peregrine spacecraft for a safe, controlled re-entry to Earth over a remote area of the South Pacific," the company said.

"The team has been continuously monitoring our re-entry analysis with Nasa, which indicates a re-entry path over the indicated area below, with no anticipated hazards.

"A safe re-entry is our top priority, so the team developed a two-step manoeuvre to move the spacecraft and change its projected trajectory."

Peregrine, which was carrying Nasa technology and human remains on board as part of a science experiment, launched into space on January 8 aboard the Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Shortly after separating from the rocket, the landing vehicle developed a propellant leak that made it impossible for it to execute a soft landing on the lunar surface.

Astrobotic said that the leak may have been caused by a trapped valve that caused a fuel tank to rupture.

Ensuring a safe re-entry

The two manoeuvres the company is carrying out on Peregrine includes firing the main engines with short burns.

Engineers also adjusted the craft's attitude (positioning) so that the force created by the leaking propellant shifted the vehicle to the South Pacific ocean.

"The procedures the team executed were to minimise the risk of debris reaching land," Astrobotic said.

It is not unusual for spacecraft debris to re-enter Earth, because the planet's gravity pulls objects back.

Previously, remnants of Chinese rockets and debris from SpaceX's Dragon trunk have fallen back to Earth.

Defunct satellites are also sometimes directed into Earth's atmosphere so they can burn up.

Unexpected journey in space

Peregrine has been operating in space for 10 days now even though it was expected to lose power hours after the propellant leak began.

It was hoped that it would enter lunar orbit and carry out a hard landing on the surface.

Instead, its trajectory led the vehicle back towards Earth.

Another failed private Moon mission

Only the US, the former Soviet Union, China and most recently India have been able to make a soft landing on the Moon.

Astrobotic was the third company to launch a private mission to the Moon, in what was the first American Moon landing attempt in more than 50 years.

Previous attempts by Israel and a Japanese company called iSpace, which carried the UAE's Rashid rover, failed.

Moon-landing vehicles cannot use parachutes to slow for a touchdown as they can on Earth and Mars.

Instead, they need to use thrusters to brake and adjust their positioning to land softly on the surface.

Japan's space agency, Jaxa, will attempt a Moon landing on Friday, with its landing vehicle called SLIM.

Intuitive Machines, another American company, has developed the IM-1 Moon lander, which is expected to launch this year.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE%20ILT20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarquee%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMoeen%20Ali%2C%20Andre%20Russell%2C%20Dawid%20Malan%2C%20Wanindu%20Hasiranga%2C%20Sunil%20Narine%2C%20Evin%20Lewis%2C%20Colin%20Munro%2C%20Fabien%20Allen%2C%20Sam%20Billings%2C%20Tom%20Curran%2C%20Alex%20Hales%2C%20Dushmantha%20Chameera%2C%20Shimron%20Hetmyer%2C%20Akeal%20Hosein%2C%20Chris%20Jordan%2C%20Tom%20Banton%2C%20Sandeep%20Lamichhane%2C%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20Rovman%20Powell%2C%20Bhanuka%20Rajapaksa%2C%20Mujeeb%20Ul%20Rahman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInternational%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELahiru%20Kumara%2C%20Seekugge%20Prassanna%2C%20Charith%20Asalanka%2C%20Colin%20Ingram%2C%20Paul%20Stirling%2C%20Kennar%20Lewis%2C%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Brandon%20Glover%2C%20Ravi%20Rampaul%2C%20Raymon%20Reifer%2C%20Isuru%20Udana%2C%20Blessing%20Muzarabani%2C%20Niroshan%20Dickwella%2C%20Hazaratullah%20Zazai%2C%20Frederick%20Klassen%2C%20Sikandar%20Raja%2C%20George%20Munsey%2C%20Dan%20Lawrence%2C%20Dominic%20Drakes%2C%20Jamie%20Overton%2C%20Liam%20Dawson%2C%20David%20Wiese%2C%20Qais%20Ahmed%2C%20Richard%20Gleeson%2C%20James%20Vince%2C%20Noor%20Ahmed%2C%20Rahmanullah%20Gurbaz%2C%20Navin%20Ul%20Haq%2C%20Sherfane%20Rutherford%2C%20Saqib%20Mahmood%2C%20Ben%20Duckett%2C%20Benny%20Howell%2C%20Ruben%20Trumpelman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet

Price, base: Dh429,090

Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

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Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett

“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche

“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox

“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite

 “I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy

“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

THE SPECS

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Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic

Power: 169bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Price: Dh54,500

On sale: now

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Squads

India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur

West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph

Updated: January 18, 2024, 10:30 AM`