(01-09-2024, 02:06 AM)MyManao Wrote:(01-08-2024, 01:30 AM)randomq Wrote: If any god cares enough they can intervene. None have.
Well, maybe one has..
Moon landing attempt by US company appears doomed..
From: https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-...fbf9a7cade
The first U.S. moon landing attempt in more than 50 years appeared to be doomed after a private company’s spacecraft developed a “critical” fuel leak just hours after Monday’s launch... ..Besides flying experiments for NASA, Astrobotic drummed up its own freight business, packing the 6-foot-tall (1.9-meter-tall) Peregrine lander with everything from a chip of rock from Mount Everest and toy-size cars from Mexico that will catapult to the lunar surface and cruise around, to the ashes and DNA of deceased space enthusiasts, including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke...
In the meantime, in the real world:
"The US company that was hoping to land on the Moon will bring its mission home to destruction in the coming hours.
Astrobotic says its Peregrine spacecraft will be directed to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up.
The lander suffered a major propellant leak shortly after launching from Florida on its Vulcan rocket last week.
Although engineers were able to stabilise the situation, the loss of oxidiser meant a safe touch-down on the lunar surface could never be attempted.
Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic has decided to dispose of the craft, rather than let it wander aimlessly through space, posing a collision hazard.
"Astrobotic has positioned the Peregrine spacecraft for a safe, controlled re-entry to Earth over a remote area of the South Pacific. The team has been continuously monitoring our re-entry analysis with [the US space agency, Nasa]," the company said in its latest mission update.
"We expect re-entry to occur at approximately 16:00 Thursday, January 18 EST (21:00 GMT).""
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67962397