A lunar lander that was supposed to land on the moon is expected to face a fiery reentry as it heads back toward Earth after a failed mission.

The Peregrine moon lander was developed and built for NASA by the private space robotics technology company Astrobotic. Although Peregrine is expected to burn up, Astrobotic said there is no safety concern as it reenters the atmosphere and returns to Earth. 

The Peregrine lander launched on a Vulcan Centaur rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida, last week and was expected to be the first U.S. mission to land on the moon in over 50 years. 

However, hours after it was sent into orbit, the lander endured a crucial propellant fuel leak, and any chance of arrival on the moon was lost. 

The company suggested a stuck valve may have caused a tank to burst.

Astrobotic posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the lander was 218,000 miles from Earth as of Jan. 15. 

NASA will assess the lander’s “final trajectory path” in the coming days to determine where it could burn. The mission is set to conclude on Jan. 18.

Astrobotic is working with NASA to figure out how best to abort the mission without endangering nearby satellites or disrupting future space travel. In a detailed press release, the company said, “By responsibly ending Peregrine’s mission, we are doing our part to preserve the future.”  

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Astrobotic will continue to operate the spacecraft and provide status updates through the end of the mission. 

Another U.S. company, Intuitive Machines, will launch its lunar lander next month.