The lunar spacecraft of Astrobotic Peregrine. Credit: Astrobotic
Edinburgh / Pittsburgh, 21 April 2022 – Astrobotic has unveiled a flight model of its Peregrine lunar lander, which will fly to the moon with a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket in the fourth quarter of 2022. The project is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
The inauguration of Peregrine took place at the Astrobotic headquarters in Pittsburgh with the participation of Congressman Matt Cartwright, NASA’s Bill Nelson, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen and James Reuters.
The facility, with an area of approximately 46,000 square meters, is designed for the development and operation of lunar spacecraft. Everyone present had to wear white overalls and hair nets before entering Peregrine’s clean room to avoid contamination.
The 24 payloads that Peregrine will deliver to the moon’s surface have already been integrated into Peregrine’s pilot decks. These include scientific instruments from three different space agencies, a rover from Carnegie Mellon University and several payloads from commercial companies. After full integration, Peregrine will undergo environmental tests before starting preparations for launch.
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