This rocket lost in space carries human ashes: Vulcan Centaur drifts due to a fuel leak

La mission visait la Lune. ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH – Guillermo Ferla

The Peregrine mission's Vulcan Centaur rocket suffered a fuel leak on January 8, 2024, preventing it from reaching the Moon. It is currently drifting through space carrying ashes and human DNA.

Lost 350,000 kilometers away, human ashes drift in space. Transported aboard the Vulcan Centaur rocket, of the lunar mission Peregrine, cells and remains of human origin were to land on the moon a few days after their arrival. departure on January 8 from Cape Canaveral in Florida, reports Geo. 

The first objective of the mission was ultimately aborted due to a fuel leak. The craft is currently hundreds of kilometers from Earth, unable to continue its plan, but still sending valuable data to scientists. 

Mission failed

The start-up Astrobotic, behind the Peregrine moon lander, missed its entry into history. It was to be the first to send an American spacecraft to the Moon in 50 years. Despite this fuel leak which puts an end to its lunar epic, it seeks "solutions to extend its lifespan”. 

Sending a spacecraft to the Moon is not easy. I commend @Astrobotic's hard work, resilience, and commitment as they navigate the challenges facing their mission. With any breakthrough innovation comes rewards and risks. Each lunar endeavor expands the opportunities for us to… https://t.co/zmZD8qj0P1

— Dr. Nicky Fox (@NASAScienceAA) January 11, 2024

And for good reason, on board the craft, precious samples sent for scientific experiments. Beyond these tests to be carried out, Vulcan Centaur carried symbols: messages from children, human ashes, memorial plaques, works of artists, bitcoins… it was ultimately the return of the human presence on the Moon, begins Le Parisien.

Why 50 years later ?

During the Apollo missions, between 1969 and 1972, only 4% of the Moon's surface was sampled and studied. Many mysteries remain about the formation and geology of the Moon.

If Man needed to wait five decades before setting foot on the Moon again, it's because it remains a technological and budgetary prowess. It takes 277,000 euros per kilo sent into orbit around the satellite, 1.1 million on its surface and 4.15 million for an Astrobotic rover.