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Astrobotic have given up on their Peregrine-1 spacecraft landing on the moon after it sprang a crippling propellant leak.

The problem occurred in the first few hours of the lunar lander’s journey into space.

The Pittsburgh-based firm – which had been hoping to be the first private company to complete a moon landing – said there was “no chance” of the spacecraft being able to survive the descent.

“Given the propellant leak, there is, unfortunately, no chance of a soft landing on the moon,” Astrobotic said in a statement.

However, the company said the lander has enough fuel left to allow it to operate “as a spacecraft” while engineers decide on its new mission in orbit.

US space agency NASA, which paid $108m (£85m) to send scientific instruments up with the lander, had hoped the craft would scope out an area of the moon ahead of its own planned landing next year.

However, on Tuesday, following Astrobotic’s statement, NASA announced it had postponed landing astronauts on the moon until at least 2026.

The Peregrine lunar lander. Pic: AP
Image:
The Peregrine lunar lander. Pic: AP

What happened to Peregrine?

Peregrine Mission-1 took off in Florida on a new Vulcan rocket at 7.18am UK time on Monday and had been scheduled to land on 23 February.

It was intended to be the first US spacecraft to land on the moon’s surface since Apollo 17 in 1972 and appeared to lift off into space as planned.

The problems with the Peregrine Mission-1 lander were reported around seven hours after Monday’s pre-dawn lift-off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Astrobotic previously said Peregrine “successfully” separated from the rocket but an “anomaly” had occurred.

The company said the propulsion system problem had “threatened the ability of the spacecraft to soft land on the moon”.

Astrobotic said a photo from a lander-mounted camera, showed a “disturbance” in a section of thermal insulation – which aligned with what was so far known of the problem.

A disturbed section of insulation on the Peregrine lander while on its way to land on the moon
Pic:Astrobotic /AP
Image:
A disturbed section of insulation on the Peregrine lander while on its way to land on the moon
Pic:Astrobotic /AP

The company was aiming to be the first private business to successfully land on the moon, something only four countries have accomplished.

A second lander from a Houston company is due to launch next month. NASA gave the two companies millions to build and fly their own lunar landers.

The space agency wanted the privately owned landers to scope out the area before astronauts arrive while delivering tech and science experiments for the space agency, other countries and universities.

Read more
Why the moon mission matters
Sports drink and human remains – is this moon mission compatible with science?

The $108m (£85m) paid to Astrobotic, a space logistics start-up, was a fraction of the cost of launching one of NASA’s own missions.

The lander, which is the size of a garden shed, is also carrying the remains of several Star Trek cast members and the DNA of former US presidents including John F Kennedy.

NASA postpones its moon landing

The last time the US launched a moon landing mission was in December 1972. Apollo 17’s Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt became the 11th and 12th men to walk on the moon.

NASA had been planning to return astronauts to the moon’s surface within the next few years under its Artemis programme.

However, on Tuesday, the space agency pushed its crewed flight around the moon – Artemis 2 – to September 2025 because of technical issues.

It was previously reported by the news agency Reuters, quoting two unnamed sources, that the mission was set to be pushed beyond its planned late-2024 target after issues were uncovered with the Lockheed Martin-built Orion crew capsule’s batteries during vibration tests.

NASA also pushed its first human moon landing in 50 years – Artemis 3 – back to September 2026.

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Gaza’s orphans have lost everything – even the dream of growing up

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Gaza's orphans have lost everything - even the dream of growing up

The number of children killed in Gaza, according to the local health ministry, recently rose above 15,000.

Fatality figures in Gaza are disputed by Israel, but even allowing for miscalculation or exaggeration, it is a staggering loss of life.

Many children have been orphaned, losing not just both parents but also siblings, grandparents and other close relatives too.

Against this tragedy, the children of Gaza can’t dream of growing up.

War has robbed them of that.

‘I just want to forget’

The children of Gaza have spent a year and a half under Israeli bombardment.
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The children of Gaza have spent a year and a half under Israeli bombardment

“I’m here hanging out with my friends because I just want to forget the war,” Osama says, surrounded by other young boys, probably no older than 10.

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“I look at my destroyed home there and think about the memories I had there with my mum and dad, in their room. And now it’s gone.

“We used to have fun every day, sit in the kitchen, play together at home, and now it’s all gone.

“I want to forget everything. I want to have fun.”

Israel continues to bombard Gaza

On Thursday, Egypt sent a delegation to Qatar in an attempt to push for a renewed ceasefire.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with senior security officials on Thursday night to discuss developments.

For now, Israel is continuing to attack Gaza daily and is refusing to lift a blockade on aid entering the Strip.

The United Nations has reported that cases of malnutrition among children in northern Gaza have almost doubled as a result.

Hundreds of children have also been killed since the resumption of attacks almost two weeks ago.

She danced until the war came home

Five-year-old Jenin liked to dance, like so many five-year-old girls around the world liked to dance.

She danced in the tent where her family was sheltering from the war nearby and she danced until the day that the war came home.

Five-year-old Jenin liked to dance.
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Five-year-old Jenin liked to dance

It was early in the morning when the missile struck – the family was getting ready for Suhoor, the Ramadan breakfast.

Twenty-five of Jenin’s relatives were killed, including her father and all of her brothers and sisters.

Her mother was already dead, killed in a previous strike.

Jenin now lies in a hospital bed, still unaware she has lost her family.

Twenty-five of Jenin's relatives were killed, including her father and all of her brothers and sisters, in an Israeli strike that left her badly hospitalised.
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Jenin is now mostly unconscious and in desperate need of surgery she cannot get in Gaza

She is mostly unconscious – her skull fractured, she has bleeding on her brain and is in desperate need of surgery she cannot get in Gaza.

“She’s truly lost all sense of safety. She’s terrified by anyone who comes near her,” Jenin’s aunt told Sky News.

“Jenin has lost the ability to speak. The shock was so severe that she can no longer communicate verbally.”

She went on: “Instead, she points and gestures, but words elude her. Most of the time, she is angry and throws things around; her emotional state is drained.

“Sometimes she responds, but other times she doesn’t. When she looks at us, there’s a visible frustration in her eyes -frustration from not being able to see her mum.”

The aftermath of the strike that killed Jenin's family.
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The aftermath of the strike that killed 25 members of Jenin’s family

Another family that didn’t survive the night

In Gaza City, our team filmed another family that didn’t survive the night.

Rescuers searched for survivors but pulled out the bodies of four people.

Twelve-year-old Sameer was the only one to escape the strike. He sobbed in silent prayer next to the wrapped corpses of his parents and siblings. Another orphan in Gaza.

Sameer was the only one to escape the strike that killed his entire family.
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Sameer was the only one to escape the strike that killed his entire family

Sameer at his family's funeral.
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Sameer at his family’s funeral

“One of my favourite memories with my family was a day at the beach,” he told us.

“We swam and played and had such a good time. I remember my brother walking back and spilling juice on himself. We laughed and told him off!”

Read more:
What happened to Israel-Hamas ceasefire?
Anti-Hamas chants heard at rare protest in Gaza

His family was buried together, side-by-side in a shallow grave. Sameer, the one who lived, watched on, silent and lost.

“I wasn’t scared before, because I had my family around me. Right now, I am scared to lose more people. My mum and dad and everyone were martyred. I’m worried about losing more people. So now whenever I hear the planes above, I think they’re going to bomb me in my home.”

Sameer returned to the ruins of his home and found his tattered school books.
Image:
Sameer returned to the ruins of his home and found his school books

There is no word for someone who has lost so much.

But in Gaza, there are so many children who have lost everything.

Their childhood, their families, their future.

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‘If VW disappears, people won’t stay in the town anymore’ – fears over Trump’s car tariffs

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'If VW disappears, people won't stay in the town anymore' - fears over Trump's car tariffs

At one factory in East Germany, they’re pumping out a car part every second, cutting and pressing millions of pieces destined for the country’s mega motor industry.

The HENNgineered plant sits on the edge of Zwickau, a city where the car is king. And when it comes to vehicles, America is Germany’s most important trading partner.

In 2024, automotive exports to the US reached a total value of €36.8bn (£30.7bn), according to the German Automobile Association.

So, Donald Trump’s decision to introduce 25% tariffs on all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles imported into the US is a big problem for manufacturers and suppliers alike.

SN screengrab from Robbins VT about Trump tariffs. GVs from german car parts manufacturer HENNgineered in Zwickau, and the August Horst Car Museum. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025
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Trump’s tariffs could prove a big problem for car manufacturers and suppliers like HENNgineered in Zwickau

SN screengrab from Robbins VT about Trump tariffs. GVs from german car parts manufacturer HENNgineered in Zwickau, and the August Horst Car Museum. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025
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This factory makes a car part every second, cutting and pressing millions of pieces

SN screengrab from Robbins VT with GVs from german car parts manufacturer HENNgineered in Zwickau, and the August Horst Car Museum. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025
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There are fears about future jobs after Donald Trump announced latest tariffs on car imports

“Such tariffs would be very hard. It could make companies decide to move to the US to produce there, which might also mean jobs are lost here in Germany,” explains site manager Matthias Wissel.

Volkswagen is now the main local employer, providing around 10,000 jobs.

Read more: Trump’s car tariffs condemned

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But car building is in people’s blood, with the first vehicle made here around 120 years ago.

The city museum proudly displays cars through the ages.

One room hosts shiny silver racing cars, another brightly coloured Trabants.

SN screengrab from Robbins VT about Trump tariffs. GVs from german car parts manufacturer HENNgineered in Zwickau, and the August Horch Car Museum. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025
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The August Horch Museum in Zwickau showcases the city’s long history of car making

SN screengrab from Robbins VT about Trump tariffs. GVs from german car parts manufacturer HENNgineered in Zwickau, and the August Horch Museum. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025
SN screengrab from Robbins VT about Trump tariffs. GVs from german car parts manufacturer HENNgineered in Zwickau, and the August Horch Museum. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025

The city developed cars from the German empire right through to the current modern republic, explains Thomas Stebich, head of August Horch Museum.

While the immaculate car displays celebrate the city’s pioneering past, tariffs are making many feel uncertain about the future.

“If nobody in the US buys a German car or less people buy German cars, it will have an impact, of course, because we need to build high numbers of cars here [for jobs],” Stebich says.

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If you want to understand how key the auto industry is to German identity, think mining to the UK in its heyday.

Around 700,000 people are employed in the industry, which generates more than 540 billion euros in sales a year.

But tariffs are not the first storm German car manufacturers have had to weather.

High energy and labour costs, competition from China and weaker domestic demand due to the ailing economy mean the German car industry has been cutting jobs.

Audi recently announced it will cut 7,500 administration jobs by 2029.

By 2030, VW will lose 35,000 roles.

Read more from Sky News:
UK firms plead for tariff deal with Trump
What will happen on ‘liberation day’?

They’re not the only ones, but Trump’s tariffs news comes as a fresh blow to workers.

A representative on the VW works council in Zwickau cancelled our interview due to crisis talks.

All the workers we met seemed pessimistic and deeply worried for the plant and the city’s future.

Their concern is shared by Aliriza Oernek, who owns four restaurants in Zwickau.

He says in recent years they’ve seen many of their young people leave the area to seek jobs elsewhere. He fears fresh pain from tariffs will hurt the whole community.

“Volkswagen is the biggest employer in Zwickau, the main source of money for people who live here. If they were to disappear, then people won’t stay in the town anymore,” he says.

Aliriza Oernek, who owns four restaurants in Zwickau.
SN screengrab from Robbins VT about Trump's tariffs in Germany. FTV PKG GERMAN AUTO TARIFFS ROBBINS ZWICKAU 27032025
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Aliriza Oernek, owns four restaurants in Zwickau, and worries that tariffs will hurt businesses like his

Like its counterparts, Volkswagen is closely watching developments around tariffs and assessing how they could impact the supply chain and production.

All eyes are currently on the European Union to see how it will retaliate.

In a statement, a spokesperson for VW Group said they “share the assessment of most experts that US tariffs and any counter-tariffs will have negative consequences for growth and prosperity in the US and other economic areas… and continue to advocate for constructive talks”.

So, while car makers brace for impact, Germany’s vowed it will “not take this lying down”, calling for a “firm response” from the EU as it tries to protect its automakers from this new American attack.

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Diego Maradona was in agony in the hours before his death, court hears

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Diego Maradona was in agony in the hours before his death, court hears

Diego Maradona was in “agony” in the hours before his death, a court has heard.

The 1986 World Cup winner, one of football’s greatest-ever players, died in a house outside Buenos Aires in November 2020 following a cardiac arrest.

He was 60.

Seven healthcare professionals, including a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist and medical staffers, have gone on trial for manslaughter after being accused of failing to provide Maradona with adequate medical care.

FILE - In this June 29, 1986 file photo, Diego Maradona holds up his team's trophy after Argentina's 3-2 victory over West Germany at the World Cup final soccer match at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
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Maradona holds the World Cup aloft after his nation’s 3-2 victory over West Germany in 1986. Pic: AP/Carlo Fumagalli

One of the experts who performed a post-mortem examination on Maradona spoke in front of the court on Thursday.

He said the Argentinian suffered agony for at least 12 hours before death and added “any doctor” should have noticed his symptoms days earlier.

Carlos Cassinelli, director of forensic medicine at the Scientific Police Superintendency, on Thursday provided details of the post-mortem performed on the day of Maradona’s death.


Fans of Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona gather, on the day of a court case against people charged with Maradona's death, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
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Fans gather in Buenos Aires during the trial earlier this month.
Pic: Reuters/Agustin Marcarian


“The heart was completely covered in fat and blood clots, which indicate agony,” he said.

Mr Cassinelli added: “This is a patient who had been collecting water over the days; that’s not acute.

“This was something that was foreseeable.

“Any doctor examining a patient would find this.”

The post-mortem concluded that Maradona died from acute pulmonary edema secondary to congestive heart failure.

The trial could last up to four months, with three hearings held a week.

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If found guilty, the defendants, who all deny the allegations against them, could be jailed for 25 years.

Among the accused are Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal physician for the last four years of his life, and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, who prescribed medication that Maradona took until the time of his death.

Along with them, psychologist Carlos Diaz, coordinator of the medical company hired to care for him during his hospitalisation, Nancy Forlini, representative of the company that rendered nursing service, Mariano Perroni, Dr Pedro Di Spagna, who monitored his treatment, and nurse Ricardo Almiron are also standing trial.

Leopoldo Luque, the personal doctor of late Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona, attends, a court case against people charged with Maradona's death, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 11, 2025. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
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Leopoldo Luque, the personal doctor of Maradona. Pic: Reuters/Agustin Marcarian

Gisela Madrid, a nurse who was also indicted, will be tried by a jury later this year.

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