CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) 鈥 A U.S. company鈥檚 lunar lander will soon burn up in Earth鈥檚 atmosphere after a failed moonshot.
Astrobotic Technology said its lander is now headed back toward Earth from the vicinity of the moon. Company officials expect the mission to end Thursday. Astrobotic is working with NASA to track the lander's path and said it should pose no safety risk during its fiery reentry.
The lander, named Peregrine, rocketed from Cape Canaveral last Monday. It quickly developed a fuel leak that forced to make the first U.S. lunar landing in more than 50 years. The company suspects a stuck valve caused a tank to rupture.
Astrobotic said it has consulted with NASA and other government officials on how best to end the mission. The company said it does not want to endanger satellites around Earth or create a hazard for future spacecraft flying to the moon.
It was a 鈥渄ifficult decision," the company said in an online update late Sunday. 鈥淏y responsibly ending Peregrine鈥檚 mission, we are doing our part to preserve the future鈥 of space exploration.
NASA paid more than $100 million to fly experiments on the Peregrine lander. It's part of the space agency's bid to commercialize lunar deliveries by private businesses while the government works to get astronauts back to the moon.
The lander also carried a rover from Carnegie Mellon University and other privately sponsored research, as well as the ashes and DNA from about 70 people, including 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.
Another U.S. company, Intuitive Machines, is up next with its own lunar lander due to launch next month.
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