The first commercial robotic landing on the moon’s surface will begin this weekend when Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will do so on the inaugural flight of a new rocket that could rival SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
Here’s everything you need to know to livestream the Peregrine Mission One launch on the new Vulcan rocket:
Peregrine Mission One: What It Is
Part of NASA’s Artemis program, which will also send a crew to the lunar surface, Peregrine Mission One comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Astrobiotic. It will include a soft landing on the moon and a robotic lander. The mission is delayed from 2022.
Peregrine Mission One: When It Will Launch
Peregrine Mission One is scheduled to launch on Sunday, December 24, on top of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket. This is the inaugural launch of “Vulcan,” a two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle. However, the launch window lasts through December 26 and there is another launch opportunity in January.
You can watch it live online on NASA TV Live or on NASA TV on YouTube.
Peregrine Mission One: What It Will Do
NASA’s first commercial space mission to the moon will attempt a soft landing at Sinus Viscositatis (Bay of Stickiness) adjacent to the Gruithuisen Domes in early 2024, but only after first orbiting Earth (for between three and 33 days), cruising to the moon and going into orbit for up to 25 days.
It will carry scientific and other payloads to the lunar surface, including the Iris rover, the first American and student-developed rover to land on the moon.
“After launch, we will separate from the Vulcan Centaur and establish power and communications with the spacecraft to guide it to the Moon,” said Sharad Bhaskaran, Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One Director. “Then, we will attempt a historic autonomous landing on the lunar surface.”
Peregrine Mission One: Why It’s Important
The space industry will closely watch the launch of Peregrine Mission One mainly because of the debut of ULA’s Vulcan rocket. In development for a decade, this two-stage-to-orbit, heavy-lift launch vehicle replaces the company’s Atlas and Delta rockets and will see the first use of engines developed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. The BE-4 engines use liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas and will be used on Blue Origin’s New Glenn orbital rocket.
Vulcan is not as large as NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) or SpaceX’s Starship, but it could become a big player among heavy-lift rockets. The U.S. Space Force will use Vulcan, as will Amazon’s Project Kuiper, a program to launch 3,000+ broadband Internet satellites to rival SpaceX Starlink.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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