A Pittsburgh-based company is getting a big Christmas gift this year, a trip to the Moon.
Astrobotic, on the North Shore, has finally launched a date for its first commercial lander.
Peregrine is set to journey into space on December 24.
It's been 10 years in the making, Astrobotic's first commercial lander is headed to the Moon.
Peregrine is set to be on board a rocket launching Christmas Eve.
Mission director Sharad Bhaskaran explains how it will contribute once it's up there.
“There are companies and space agencies and institutions and private individuals around the world, including NASA, that want to do science and technology demonstrations on the surface of the Moon, so this vehicle Peregrine is what enables that,” said Bhaskaran.
If the mission is successful, Astrobotic will be the first company to land a privately developed spacecraft on the Moon.
Bhaskaran said it could put Pittsburgh on the map again.
“I think it’s going to bring a lot of interesting, unique attention to Astrobotic, to our mission and to the region in general just because what we’re doing, we’re trying to become the first company to land a privately, commercially developed spacecraft on the moon,” said Bhaskaran.
It will ship out from Astrobotic's North Shore headquarters this Friday, and if all goes to plan, it will take about 30 days from the December 24 launch to touch down on the Moon's surface.