A brand new rocket was to take off from Florida on Monday, with on board the first American device to attempt to land on the Moon in more than 50 years, this time developed by a private company.
The rocket Vulcan Centaur of the industrial group ULA, which brings together Boeing and Lockheed Martin, was to make its very first flight from Cape Canaveral, lifting off the ground at 2:18 a.m. local time on Monday.
The moon lander, named Peregrinewas developed by the emerging company Astrobotic, with the support of NASA, which commissioned this company to transport scientific equipment to the Moon – a $108 million contract.
The launch should inaugurate a series of missions supported by the American space agency, which wishes to rely partly on the private sector for its lunar ambitions.
If Astrobotic manages to land on the Moon as planned on February 23, it could become the first company to achieve this feat.
In recent years, Israeli and Japanese companies have attempted to land on the moon, but these missions ended in crashes.
“Leading America’s return to the surface of the Moon, for the first time since Apollo, is a tremendous honor,” Astrobotic boss John Thornton said at a press conference on Friday. However, he said he was aware of the difficulty of the task and the risks of failure.
About 50 minutes after takeoff, Peregrine had to separate from the rocket: Astrobotic had to then power up the device and will attempt to establish communication. The lander was thus supposed to continue its route towards our natural satellite.
Once in lunar orbit, the probe will wait until the lighting conditions are right to attempt to land.
The targeted landing site is located on the visible side of the Moon, near mysterious domes formed by lava, but which scientists struggle to explain.
Thanks to the instruments shipped, NASA must study the composition of the surface, as well as the radiation.
Human ashes
The weather forecast was expected to be rather favorable for takeoff on Monday, but much less so for the following three days – possible dates for withdrawal in the event of a postponement. If necessary, another shooting window will open on January 23.
The mission has also caused controversy because it carries the ashes or DNA of dozens of people, including those of the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry. A partnership with the Celestis company, specializing in “commemorative spaceflights”.
Sending these ashes to the Moon aroused the anger of the indigenous Navajo people, who denounced the “desecration of a sacred place”.
Heard Friday during a meeting with representatives of NASA, the American air regulator, and the White House, the Navajo nation did not obtain the postponement of the launch.
Vulcan Centaurin development for around 10 years, represents “the future of the company”, underlined Mark Peller, vice-president of the ULA group.
The rocket (around 60 m high) should allow it to replace its launchers Atlas V And Delta IVand to compete with SpaceX with more affordable takeoffs.
ULA, which plans six launches of Vulcan Centaur this year, wishes to subsequently recover its engines after each flight for even more profitability.
Lunar economy
If NASA is only a passenger for this mission, it nevertheless represents a major step for the agency, which seeks to encourage the development of a lunar economy.
It has therefore signed a contract with several companies, including Astrobotic, to send scientific equipment to the Moon. The program, called CLPS, provides companies with crucial financing.
Another selected company, Intuitive Machines, is also scheduled to launch for the Moon in mid-February with a SpaceX rocket.
This new strategy should allow NASA “to make the trip more often, faster and cheaper,” explained Joel Kearns, a senior official within the space agency.
These missions studying the lunar environment should make it possible to prepare for the return of astronauts to the Moon, which NASA is planning with its Artemis program.
To date, only the United States, the Soviet Union, China and India have successfully landed a device on the Moon.
A mission from the Japanese space agency (JAXA) is also due to attempt to land in about two weeks. Russia, for its part, spectacularly missed a moon landing this summer.
With Lucie Aubourg in Washington