Doomed US lunar lander now headed for Earth: company

Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander, launched on a Vulcan rocket on January 8, is now leaking fuel and headed back to Earth. The spacecraft, experiencing an onboard explosion shortly after launch, is unlikely to make a soft lunar touchdown due to fuel loss. While the team was able to activate science experiments for NASA, the lander is expected to burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Despite this setback, NASA's strategy of "more shots on goal" for commercial lunar endeavors continues, with another attempt by Intuitive Machines scheduled for February.