A mission to deliver a 1 BTC wallet and a physical Dogecoin token to the moon, initiated by BitMEX, has encountered serious technical problems, raising concerns about its successful completion. The Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle successfully placed the Astrobotic landing module into orbit on 8 January 2024, but the Peregrine lunar lander, responsible for the soft landing, encountered a propulsion system malfunction and a fuel leak.
Astrobotic's analysis revealed problems in the deployment of the solar panels, meaning there was insufficient power to operate efficiently. These difficulties, together with other anomalies, could prevent the successful completion of the mission. Analysts warn that unless urgent action is taken, the module could lose contact with Earth soon after running out of power.
Astrobotic officials plan to optimise the mission by getting the vehicle as close to the Moon as possible while it still has resources. However, Peregrine's future remains in question, and a decision on its fate has yet to be made. Some social media users joke that, even if it fails, bitcoin and Dogecoin wallets will nevertheless find themselves "delivered" to the Moon. All of these developments emphasise the difficulties faced by companies seeking to spend cryptocurrency assets in space.
