First US moon landing mission in decades launches into space

The first U.S. moon landing mission in decades was launched Monday morning, Jan. 8, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Vulcan rocket lifted into space at 2:18 a.m. carrying a robotic spacecraft, hoping to be the first lunar lander by a private company.

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It was also the first flight for Vulcan, which has been under development for a decade by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The lunar lander called Peregrine was developed by the Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic Technology.

“There’s a lot riding here,” said John Thornton, the chief executive of Astrobotic. “It’s a mix of emotions. There’s thrill and excitement, but I’m also a bit terrified because there’s a lot on the line.”

The lander was carrying multiple scientific deliveries on board, including five experiments from NASA, as well as cremated remains on behalf of two space burial companies. If successful, Peregrine would be the first American spacecraft to land on the moon since the final Apollo mission in 1972, and if all goes right, it is set to touch down on the Moon on Feb. 23, after takes on loop around Earth and launches into lunar orbit. Still, the successful launch does not guarantee mission success.

“This whole task is not easy,” Nasa’s CLP program manger Chris Culbert said. “Landing on the moon is extremely difficult. The surface of the Moon holds many robotic spacecraft that were not able to land softly and complete their mission.”