NASA’s Commercial Lunar Delivery Service: A New Era of Space Exploration with Peregrine Mission One

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has taken a significant step forward in its mission to advance capabilities for science, exploration, and commercial development of the Moon under its Artemis campaign. The first flight of NASA’s commercial lunar delivery service, Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One, marked a new era in space exploration.

On January 18, 2024, after 10 days and 13 hours in space, Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One made a controlled re-entry on Earth over open water in the South Pacific. The spacecraft, which was the first commercial vendor to launch a mission to the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, experienced a propulsion issue that prevented a soft landing on the Moon.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his support for the mission, stating, “Space exploration is a daring task, and the science and spaceflight data collected from Astrobotic’s lunar lander is better preparing NASA for future CLPS deliveries and crewed missions under Artemis.”

Four out of the five NASA payloads on Peregrine successfully powered on and collected data while in flight. These instruments included the Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS), Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS), Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS), and Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS). NASA science teams are currently working to interpret the results, which suggest the instruments have measured natural radiation and chemical compounds in the area around the lander.

Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, emphasized the importance of the mission, stating, “Astrobotic’s Peregrine mission provided an invaluable opportunity to test our science and instruments in space, optimizing our process for collecting data and providing a benchmark for future missions.”

NASA is committed to supporting its U.S. commercial vendors as they navigate the challenges of sending science and technology to the surface of the Moon. The next CLPS commercial flight is targeted for no earlier than February.

The CLPS initiative is part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, which aims to return humans to the Moon by 2024 and establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. The initiative includes seven additional CLPS deliveries awarded to multiple American companies, with more awards expected in the coming years.

The success of Peregrine Mission One demonstrates the potential of public-private partnerships in space exploration. NASA’s collaboration with Astrobotic and other commercial partners is strengthening the commercial space economy and paving the way for future missions to the Moon and beyond.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, founded in 1958, is responsible for the nation’s civilian space program and for aeronautics and space research. NASA’s mission is to explore the unknown in air and space, innovate for the benefit of humanity, and inspire the world through discovery.

For more information about CLPS, visit NASA’s website at https://www.nasa.gov/clps.

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Page Last Updated:
Jan 19, 2024

Page Editor:
Roxana Bardan

Responsible NASA Official:
Brian Dunbar