Remains of sci-fi legends burn in Earth’s atmosphere

Cape Canaveral: A US company’s lunar lander has burnt up in Earth’s atmosphere after a failed moonshot. The space vehicle also contained the remains of two of science fiction’s most famous figures.

Astrobotic Technology said on X, formerly Twitter, it had lost contact with its lander indicating it had re-entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific on Friday, on its way back from the vicinity of the moon. It said it would await confirmation from government entities.

Peregrine Mission One coming back to Earth.Credit: Astrobotic

Astrobotic worked with NASA to track the lander’s path and said it would pose no safety risk during its fiery re-entry.

The lander, named Peregrine, carried not just a rover from Carnegie Mellon University and other privately sponsored research, but also the ashes and DNA from about 70 people, including the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

It left from Cape Canaveral, in Florida, on Monday.

Keir Dullea in a scene from the 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.Credit: AP

It quickly developed a fuel leak that forced the company to abandon its attempt to make the first US lunar landing in more than 50 years. The company suspected a stuck valve caused a tank to rupture.

Astrobotic said it had consulted with NASA and other government officials on how best to end the mission.

It said it did not want to endanger satellites around Earth or create a hazard for future spacecraft flying to the moon.

It was a “difficult decision”, the company said in an online update.

“By responsibly ending Peregrine’s mission, we are doing our part to preserve the future [of space exploration],” it said.

NASA paid more than $US100 million ($151 million) to fly experiments on the Peregrine lander.

It is part of the space agency’s bid to commercialise lunar deliveries by private businesses while the government works to get astronauts back to the moon.

A scene from Star Trek. The remains of its creator Gene Roddenberry were on board the Astrobotic craft.Credit: Paramount

Another US company, Intuitive Machines, is up next with its own lunar lander due to launch next month.

AP

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