Fuel leak forces US company to abandon moon landing attempt

Advertisement

Advertise with us

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A crippling fuel leak forced a U.S. company on Tuesday to give up on landing a spacecraft on the moon.

Read this article for free:


or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Subscribe and receive a limited-edition Free Press branded hat or tote.

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $205*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/01/2024 (1008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A crippling fuel leak forced a U.S. company on Tuesday to give up on landing a spacecraft on the moon.

Astrobotic Technology’s lander began losing fuel soon after Monday’s launch, possibly because of a ruptured tank. The spacecraft had trouble keeping its solar panel pointed towards the sun and generating solar power, as flight controllers scrambled to salvage what they could of the mission.

“Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon,” Astrobotic said in a statement.

In this image released by Astrobotic Technology, an image from a mounted camera shows a disturbed section of insulation on the Peregrine lander, while on its way to land on the moon, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Astrobotic said the moon landing is in jeopardy because of a fuel leak that developed hours after the spacecraft's launch. (Astrobotic Technology via AP)
In this image released by Astrobotic Technology, an image from a mounted camera shows a disturbed section of insulation on the Peregrine lander, while on its way to land on the moon, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Astrobotic said the moon landing is in jeopardy because of a fuel leak that developed hours after the spacecraft's launch. (Astrobotic Technology via AP)

Astrobotic had been targeting a lunar landing on Feb. 23, following a roundabout, fuel-efficient flight to the moon. It could have been the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years, and the first by a private company. A second lander from a Houston company is due to launch next month.

Only four countries have pulled off a successful moon landing.

Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic said the new goal was to keep the lander operating as long as possible in space, in order to avoid a similar problem on its next mission a year or so from now. Flight controllers managed to keep the spacecraft pointed toward the sun and its battery fully charged, with another 40 hours of operations anticipated.

The company said a stuck valve may have caused high-pressure helium to flood an oxidizer tank, causing it to burst just hours into the flight. A formal review board comprised of industry experts will determine the cause.

There is no indication that United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket, which launched the lander, contributed to the problem, the company added.

NASA paid Astrobotic $108 million to fly its experiments to the moon on this mission, part of the agency’s commercial lunar program.

This illustration provided by Astrobotic Technology in 2024 depicts the Peregrine lunar lander on the surface of the moon. Its expected launch date is Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (Astrobotic Technology via AP)
This illustration provided by Astrobotic Technology in 2024 depicts the Peregrine lunar lander on the surface of the moon. Its expected launch date is Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (Astrobotic Technology via AP)

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Report Error Submit a Tip

More Stories

Comparing the Iran and Vietnam Wars

Peter McKenna 5 minute read Preview

Comparing the Iran and Vietnam Wars

Peter McKenna 5 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

The other day I asked my students in U.S. foreign policy to think about the relevance of the Vietnam War in relation to the ongoing war in Iran. More specifically, I wanted them to identify the similarities and differences between the two wars.

Read
2:00 AM CDT

Woman accused of pulling handgun on taxi driver

1 minute read Yesterday at 10:39 AM CDT

A 45-year-old woman accused of pulling a handgun on a Winnipeg taxi driver is facing multiple firearms-related charges.

It happened Sunday afternoon, at about 2:30 p.m., near the intersection of Concordia Avenue and Louelda Street. Officers learned a woman got into a cab in the Munroe East neighbourhood and pulled out a handgun, asking the driver to take her to a specific location, the Winnipeg Police Service stated in a news release.

The taxi driver activated the taxi's emergency beacon, exited the vehicle, and contacted police.

The woman got into the driver's seat of the taxi, but the keys had been removed, and she fled on foot. A suspect was arrested shortly afterward in the 1000 block of Concordia Avenue. Police seized a .22-calibre handgun during the arrest.

Manitoba e-scooter legislation changes set to impose speed limit, age restrictions, sidewalk ban

Matthew Frank 5 minute read Preview

Manitoba e-scooter legislation changes set to impose speed limit, age restrictions, sidewalk ban

Matthew Frank 5 minute read Updated: 11:26 AM CDT

People riding e-scooters and other personal electric vehicles in Manitoba will have to strap on a helmet, stay off sidewalks and follow new age limits once new provincial rules for the devices take effect next year.

The vehicles, which also include electric skateboards, hoverboards and unicycles, will fall under The Highway Traffic Act starting in 2027, according to the province’s website. E-bikes are excluded from the new rules, according to the province’s frequently-asked-questions page.

All riders must be at least 16 years old and wear properly fitting helmets — that goes for passengers, too, the province said.

The proposed new legislation sets a speed limit of 25 km/h and would prohibit personal electric vehicles from sidewalks unless signs specifically allow sidewalk use. Riders would be using shared paths or roads with speed limits of 50 km/hr or less. They won’t be allowed to operate the vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs and they must use hand signals and obey traffic signs.

Read
Updated: 11:26 AM CDT

Collaros turns back the clock in crucial win over Stamps

Taylor Allen 7 minute read Preview

Collaros turns back the clock in crucial win over Stamps

Taylor Allen 7 minute read Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026

It was around this time seven years ago that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers officially became Zach Collaros’s team.

Making his first start in blue and gold after being acquired via trade, Collaros ran backwards to escape a collapsing pocket before rolling to his right and firing a perfect pass to Darvin Adams in the back corner of the south end zone during a home game against the Calgary Stampeders.

The play marked the beginning of the Collaros era in Winnipeg.

And a similar play Saturday night, once again against the Stampeders, served as a reminder that the 38-year-old pivot isn’t done just yet.

Read
Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026

Riding the Unity Bus to rally support for Canada in Alberta

Melissa Martin 8 minute read Preview

Riding the Unity Bus to rally support for Canada in Alberta

Melissa Martin 8 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:57 PM CDT

WAINWRIGHT, Alta. — The Unity Bus arrives right on time, pulling into a parking lot on the edge of this town of about 6,600 people close to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. As the vehicle slows to a halt, resplendent in its patriotic red-and-white paint, a small group of supporters stand waiting, decked in their own maple leaf garb.

The Unity Bus’s doors open and former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk bounds to the ground. The supporters, volunteers with Lukaszuk’s Forever Canadian campaign, welcome him with applause; he greets them with open arms. He knows many by name, having been to Wainwright four times; some of them fondly call him “the boss.”

“Do you need some stickers?” he asks. “Do you need some swag to give away?”

It’s a chilly Thanksgiving Monday morning on the eastern edge of Alberta. A sharp wind nips at exposed skin and drab grey clouds hang low in the sky. Such weather does not encourage high spirits, but Lukaszuk and these volunteers can’t afford to let theirs falter: in just one week, on Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on a historic question on whether to remain in Canada.

Read
Updated: Yesterday at 9:57 PM CDT

Hydro’s unpredictable fortunes

Editorial 4 minute read Preview

Hydro’s unpredictable fortunes

Editorial 4 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

Hope for rain. Or snow. Or both. There’s a truism buried deep in a financial outlook in Manitoba Hydro’s 2025-26 annual report, released in late September: “Manitoba Hydro’s net income is highly dependent on several uncontrollable factors.”

Read
2:00 AM CDT