However, unlike previous trips to Earth’s closest neighbor, the upcoming mission will not be run by NASA, but by a private company called Astrobotic. Several years ago, NASA launched the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which partners the agency with commercial companies to deliver payloads to the moon and conduct experiments, test technologies, and help the space agency prep for future human missions. According to a NASA press kit, Peregrine Mission One will carry 20 payloads to the Moon, including five NASA payloads and 15 payloads from other organizations from around the world. Robotic science investigations will search for evidence of water and other resources, and lay the groundwork for sustainable human exploration, the agency said. The Peregrine lunar lander arrived in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Oct. 31 to begin launch preparations. "One of the big challenges of what we're attempting here is attempting a launch and landing on the surface Moon for a fraction of what it would otherwise cost," said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. "Only about half of the missions that have gone to the surface of the Moon have been successful." The spacecraft will be integrated with the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket for launch on Dec. 24. The craft will circle the Moon until conditions are favorable for landing. After Peregrine separates from the ULA rocket, Astrobotic’s Mission Control Center will take control of the craft until the lander reaches the Moon’s orbit, between 17 and 19 days after the launch. NASA says Peregrine will orbit the moon for up to 39 days before starting its descent to the landing site. "NASA leadership is aware of the risks and has accepted that some of these missions might not succeed," said Chris Culbert, the CLPS program manager. "But even if every landing isn't successful, CLPS already had an impact on the commercial infrastructure needed to establish a lunar economy.”On January 25, for the first time in more than five decades, the U.S. is returning to the Moon.
