Must Read
A new American spacecraft is attempting to land on the Moon, marking the first such endeavor in over 50 years, and this time, it's spearheaded by private industry.
The United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan Centaur, a freshly minted rocket, soared into the night sky from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:18 am (0718 GMT) on its maiden voyage.
It carried Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander, and ULA shared the success on social media, calling the launch "spot on."
Eric Monda, ULA's strategic planning director, expressed excitement, stating, "It was so cool. I ran outside to watch the launch."
If everything goes according to plan, Peregrine is set to touch down on a mid-latitude region of the Moon known as Sinus Viscositatis, or Bay of Stickiness, on February 23.
Astrobotic's CEO John Thornton remarked, "Leading America back to the surface of the Moon for the first time since Apollo is a momentous honor."
Unlike previous lunar landings conducted by national space agencies, the United States is now leveraging the commercial sector to drive a more expansive lunar economy and deploy hardware at a reduced cost through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
NASA paid Astrobotic over $100 million for this task, part of a broader initiative aiming for cost-effective lunar surface trips to prepare for the Artemis program, which plans to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade as a stepping stone for future Mars missions.
However, landing on the Moon remains a challenging task, with approximately half of all attempts historically ending in failure.
ULA's Vulcan, making its debut launch, adds an element of risk, although the company boasts a 100 percent success rate in over 150 prior launches.
Peregrine carries a suite of scientific instruments to study radiation and surface composition, contributing to preparations for human missions.
Alongside the scientific cargo, it also carries a rover from Carnegie Mellon University, a physical Bitcoin, and controversially, cremated remains and DNA, including those of notable figures like Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and scientist Arthur C. Clarke.
Despite objections from the Navajo Nation, who consider sending such cargo to the Moon as desecration, the mission proceeded.
ULA's Vulcan rocket's upper stage, orbiting the Sun after deploying the lander, carries more late Star Trek cast members and hair samples from Presidents George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy.
This historic mission marks a pivotal step forward in lunar exploration, blending scientific exploration with private-sector innovation.
