US Moon Landing Mission Could Be in Jeopardy After ‘Critical Loss’ of Fuel

A “critical loss” of fuel caused by a leak may have doomed the United States’s first attempt to land a craft on the moon in over five decades. Astrobotic Technology, a private company based in Pittsburgh, announced the launch of its unmanned lunar landing, Peregrine, on Jan. 8. In the early hours of the morning, the craft launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. However, soon after the lander separated from the rocket, the team noticed a “propulsion anomaly” preventing Peregrine from orienting its solar panels toward the sun and collecting power. This malfunction could threaten “the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the Moon.” Engineers found a way to tilt the spacecraft in the right direction thanks to an “improvised manoeuvre,” and charge the battery. But another issue was discovered soon after....