British Schoolgirl Sends Time Capsule to Moon!
Elizabeth Norman, a 10-year-old space enthusiast from Leicester, England, secured a spot on the recent US commercial lunar launch by catching the attention of United Launch Alliance (ULA) with her backyard rocket launch. The Vulcan Centaur rocket, carrying the Peregrine lunar lander, successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, with Elizabeth and her family watching the live countdown.
The primary payload of the mission is the Peregrine lunar lander, developed by Astrobotic. Elizabeth’s contribution, part of the first-ever lunar time capsule, includes a sticker with ‘Astro Liz,’ her blog and social media pages’ name, and a message for her brother. However, an unexpected post-launch challenge may affect the lander’s ability to land on the moon, and the team is investigating.
Elizabeth’s passion for space ignited after watching NASA’s Perseverance Rover’s flight to Mars in July 2020. She immersed herself in space knowledge, started a science-themed YouTube channel, and created a model of the ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket, impressing ULA’s CEO Tory Bruno. His admiration led to Elizabeth becoming part of the real lunar launch.
The Norman family expresses gratitude to Astrobotic for making Elizabeth’s space dream a reality, seeing it as an opportunity to inspire other young individuals to pursue space exploration. Elizabeth, known as Astro Liz, celebrates the mission’s success and expresses her support for Peregrine from her hometown.