API VERSION: 1.2 API SOURCE: NASA/JPL Horizons API ******************************************************************************* Revised: Jan 18, 2024 Peregrine Mission One / (Moon) -244 https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2024/01/vulcan-flight-one-preps/ https://www.astrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Peregrine-Payload-Users-Guide.pdf NBOTE: Loss of Signal (LOS) reported at 20:59 UTC via Canberra DSS-36. NOTE: Astrobotic expects re-entry in the South Pacific a few hundred km east of Australia and north of New Zealand. Ground observers are reporting observations (optical astrometry) having multi-arcminute differences in the expected plane-of-sky position (RA/DEC) relative to the official Astrobotic release here, with atmospheric re-entry predictions differing by a few degrees (in lat/long) and 2-3 minutes in time. NOTE: 2024-Jan-14 Astrobotic indicates Earth atmospheric re-entry on January 18. NOTE: 2024-Jan-9 00:20 UTC After successful launch, Peregrine experienced loss of attitude control after separation from Centaur upper stage while on its trans-lunar transfer trajectory. Eventually restored to sunward-pointing for battery charging, it was determined a fuel leak had occured. Alternate mission profiles are currently being considered and the trajectory data will be updated here as new information is made available. BACKGROUND Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander is scheduled to launch January 8, 2024 @ 7:18 UTC from SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral (USA). Launch window is 45 minutes. It will be the first commercial lunar mission by a private company (selected through NASA's CLPS initiative) and the inaugural flight of the new Vulcan rocket, intended to replace the Delta IV family. The second stage is a Centaur V, a new redesign. After stage separation, one Earth orbit period, and cruise to the Moon, the lunar orbit phase starts. It will consist of a high, medium, and finally a circular 100 km altitude orbit. Peregrine will descend/land autonomously February 23, 2024 shortly after local sunrise, at a lunar feature called Sinus Viscositatis (Bay of Stickiness), near the largest dark spot on the near side of the Moon (Gruitheisen Domes) on the northeast border of Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms). Landing ellipse region is 100 x 100 meters. The mission will conduct scientific experiments to better understand the Moon prior to the landing of Artemis program astronauts on Artemis III. Operating span is planned to be about 192 hours from touchdown. The lander carries five NASA payloads designed to collect data on possible water molecules underground, on the surface, and in the lunar exosphere. Experiments will also study how solar radiation interacts with the lunar surface. There are a total of 20 payloads. A laser retroreflector array will also be placed on the surface. Similar to the reflectors left on the lunar surface by Apollo crews, the eight retro-reflectors will allow for laser ranging and support precise lunar orbit determination. MISSION TIMELINE (time since launch) SRB jettison : +0:01:50.3 Booster/Centaur separation : +0:05:05.0 Centaur main engine start (MES-1): +0:05:14.9 Centaur second cut-off (MECO-2) : +0:47:37.0 Peregrine separation : +0:50:26.0 (490 km alt, inc. 30.03 deg.) Centaur start (MES-3, disposal) : +1:18:23.9 Centaur cut-off (MECO-3) : +1:18:43.8 SPACECRAFT (Peregrine) Mass : 1283 kg Payload : 90 kg Dimensions: 1.9 x 2.5 meters, box-shaped main body, four landing legs. Power (at 28V, max. 480 W): 1.8 m^2 solar panel 840 Whr lithium-ion batteries Communication: X-band (down), S-band (up) w/med/low gain & WLAN PROPULSION - Five TALOS-150 667-N thrusters on bottom of lander - Four sets of three 45-N attitude control thrusters - Attitude knowledge from: Sun and star trackers, inertial measurement, OPAL sensor, Doppler LiDAR - Lander carries 450 kg MON-25 bi-propellant in four tanks SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS: - Laser Retro-Reflector Array (LRA) - Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS) - Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS) - Peregrine Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS) - Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS) SPACECRAFT TRAJECTORY: Post-launch trajectory segments from Astrobotic/SEE: File name Begins (TDB) Ends (TDB) ---------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------- 8244_Jan08_DescNode_0Loop_North_T-40_V0.3 2024-Jan-08 08:07 2024-Jan-08 APM1_ScheduleEphem_2024-01-08_204248_V0.1 2024-Jan-08 22:45 2024-Jan-09 APM1_ScheduleEphem_2024-01-08_212033_V0.1 2024-Jan-09 00:15 2024-Jan-09 20240109_054300_V0.1 2024-Jan-09 05:43 2024-Jan-10 20240110_134500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240110_1124.v1 2024-Jan-10 13:46 2024-Jan-10 20240110_234000_NoBurn_GenTime_20240110_2333.v1 2024-Jan-10 23:40 2024-Jan-11 APM1_ScheduleEphem_2024-01-12_011333.v1 2024-Jan-11 21:46 2024-Jan-12 20240112_221500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240112_1834.v1 2024-Jan-12 22:15 2024-Jan-14 20240114_014500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240113_2120.v1 2024-Jan-14 01:45 2024-Jan-14 20240114_234500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240114_2039.v1 2024-Jan-14 23:45 2023-Jan-18 20240115_194500_AAM1_GenTime_20240116_0351.v1 2024-Jan-15 19:45 2024-Jan-16 20240116_125500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240116_1222.v1 2024-Jan-16 12:55 2024-Jan-16 20240116_125500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240116_1222.v1 2024-Jan-16 22:15 2024-Jan-17 20240117_071600_NoBurn_GenTime_20240117_0250.v1 2024-Jan-17 07:16 2024-Jan-17 20240117_124500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240117_0900.v1 2024-Jan-17 12:45 2024-Jan-17 20240117_234500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240117_1920.v1 2024-Jan-17 23:45 2024-Jan-18 20240118_074500_NoBurn_GenTime_20240118_0337.v1 2024-Jan-18 07:45 2024-Jan-18 20240118_133000_NoBurn_GenTime_20240118_1136.v1 2024-Jan-18 13:30 2024-Jan-18 ******************************************************************************* No ephemeris for target "Peregrine (spacecraft)" after A.D. 2024-JAN-18 21:01:59.9996 UT