The Astrobotic Company held a presentation of the lunar lander Peregrine. It is planned to send it to the moon of our planet by the end of 2022.
Peregrine Lander
The height of the Peregrine is 1.9 meters, the width is 2.5 meters. It is equipped with five engines designed to perform maneuvers in interplanetary space and a soft landing on the lunar surface. The lander has many locations designed to accommodate various scientific equipment. In total, Peregrine can carry a payload weighing up to 265 kg.
CLPS Program
Peregrine will be sent to the Moon as part of a contract under the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program, the main purpose of which is to attract commercial firms to the development of the Moon. Its essence is quite simple. NASA provides fixed-price contracts for cargo (usually scientific instruments) to be sent to the Moon. The company that has received the contract independently organizes the entire delivery process: it searches for a free launch carrier, buys or builds a landing vehicle, and then ensures that cargo is placed there. Thus, NASA frees itself from numerous organizational and technological concerns, and at the same time supports the development of private industry.
The First Peregrine Mission
As part of its first lunar mission, Peregrine will land in the area of Lacus Mortis (Lake of Death), the lunar sea located in the northeastern part of the visible side of the moon. 24 cargoes will be placed on board the lander. About half of them are provided by NASA, and the rest by various commercial customers. Among the most curious cargo of the mission are several micro-rovers, as well as a coin on which one bitcoin is “loaded”.
A Vulcan rocket will be used to launch Peregrine. Its commissioning has been postponed several times due to problems with the supply of BE-4 methane engines, now it is scheduled for the end of 2022. Peregrine will be the first cargo for the new carrier.
According to https://www.theverge.com
