Sun afternoon, Falcon9, Starlink routine launch from the Cape
Mon wee hours, ULA Vulcan, Peregrine lunar lander maiden flight from the Cape
Alas, looks like the Peregrine lander won’t make it to the Moon
Sunday Double-Header:
Sun am, Falcon9, Starlink from Vandenberg
Sun night, Falcon9, Starlink from the Cape
moon landing in trouble due to fuel leak.
https://nypost.com/2024/01/08/news/us-moon-landing-attempt-in-jeopardy-because-of-a-critical-fuel-leak-in-private-spacecraft/
thoughts, DougM? i know that the NYPost isn’t the greatest source
Dunno any more than what you’ve seen.
It happens to “Stuff That’s Hard to Do.”
Hope they can salvage some kind of partial mission success,
but it doesn’t look good.
The truly important mission was to try-out the new Vulcan/Centaur,
and that seemed to work just fine.
Perhaps the payload couldn’t take the shaking of liftoff, perhaps a fitting or hose broke, who knows?
They (Astrobotics) paid their money and took their chances.
Try again!
Don’t look for a follow-up mission from Astrobotics any time soon. Unlike NASA and the Feds with unlimited piles of do-over money, I don’t think Astrobotics has those kind of deep pockets. Too bad.
Looks like Astrobotics received quite the discount for riding the Vulcan.
Maybe they were focusing their energies in the wrong place?
Do spacecraft get the same astronomical insurance rates as EVs?
–mech
Dunno, but it’s gotta be significant, especially for a first-time launch vehicle!
Now, a SpaceX launch is pretty routine and the rates are as low as they can go. Starship rates will settle down as soon as they get orbital reliably. Such is Rocket Science!
Everything would have been just fine if they’d left off that DHL sticker.