Unstoppable: Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lander Continues to Exceed Expectations in Lunar Orbit
Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander is still operating on orbit, with the company saying there is “growing optimism” that the spacecraft could survive in space longer than the current estimate.
The Pittsburgh-based startup has been releasing a series of updates to social media platform X since the spacecraft’s launch in the early hours of Monday morning.
Shortly after separating from the launch vehicle, United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur, engineers immediately started encountering issues.
But despite all odds, Peregrine has been operational in space for more than four days, and the estimated operational time remaining continues to extend.
The remaining 10 payloads on board are passive, and do not require power or communications from the spacecraft.
