Rocket launched to the moon – the most important questions and answers Massive shelling: air raid siren throughout Ukraine +++ The Japanese Foreign Minister in Kiev

Was the start successful?

Yes. The Vulcan rocket took off at exactly 8:18 a.m. (Swiss time). “Everything looks good,” said mission control. The engines had good hydraulic pressure and chamber pressure.

The rocket took off using meth engines and two rocket boosters. Nearly two minutes after launch, the boosters separated from the rocket, as mission control explained in the livestream. The Vulcan’s engines continued to accelerate the rocket.

About 16 minutes after launch, the rocket also successfully jettisoned its engines after using up their fuel.

What kind of mission is this?

“Peregrine Mission One” is a commercial flight operated by the private American space company Astrobotic Technology. The landing module “Peregrine” (English for “peregrine falcon”) took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Monday morning at 8:18 a.m. our time using a United Launch Alliance “Vulcan” rocket.

Why is the mission risky?

For starters, no private company has ever managed to soft-land a spacecraft on the surface of the moon or any other celestial body. On the other hand, the ‘Vulcan’ rocket has never flown before – even though United Launch Alliance’s previous rockets have worked perfectly.

Astrobotic CEO John Thornton has mixed feelings about the mission. “It’s thrilling and exciting, but I’m also a little scared because the stakes are high,” the Guardian quoted him as saying.

Why doesn’t NASA fly to the moon?

NASA isn’t completely uninvolved in the mission. Peregrine is the first mission operated under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.

This is a new program in which the space agency pays private companies to bring scientific equipment to the moon.

In addition to some NASA equipment, there is a small rover from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). It will be the first American robot on the moon.

What is the Peregrine Falcon doing on the moon?

Peregrine would also conduct research on the moon. To do this, an ancient lava flow called Sinus Viscositatis will be attacked. Using various instruments, the moon’s radiation levels, magnetic field and gas layer will be measured to investigate and minimize the risks of future manned missions. It is also being investigated to what extent the moon can provide useful resources.

But that’s not all: the Peregrine also has interesting cargo on board. These include a copy of Wikipedia, a coin loaded with a Bitcoin and even DHL ‘month boxes’ containing books, photos and rocks from Mount Everest.

And another special feature is transporting to the moon: the ashes of deceased people, including Gene Roddenberry, the inventor of Star Trek. The space funeral companies Elysium Space and Celestis make this possible. (saw/t online)