"Peregrine Lunar Lander Setback Won't Halt NASA's Lunar Program Progress"
The inaugural private lander contracted under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, Peregrine, experienced propulsion problems and won't make a soft touchdown on the lunar surface. Despite this setback, astrophysicist Jack Burns remains optimistic about the program's future, emphasizing the upcoming launch of the Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander and its payload ROLSES, which aims to conduct radio astronomy on the moon's far side. The failure of Peregrine highlights the high-risk nature of the program, but NASA's commercial endeavor aims to distribute risks and costs among multiple missions, demonstrating a cheaper and more efficient way to bring scientific payloads to space.