A new rocket was launched from Florida, today, Monday, carrying the first American vehicle that is supposed to land on the moon in more than fifty years, and this time it was developed by a private company.
The Vulcan Centaur rocket from the ULA group was launched to make its first flight from Cape Canaveral at 02:18 local time (07:18 GMT) on Monday from the Kennedy Space Center.
Workers at the base clapped and cheered with joy when the launch pad and the lunar spacecraft separated after about 48 minutes without any incident, which is a major milestone for the company.
Tony Bruno, CEO of the ULA Group, said on NASA’s broadcast network that he was “excited,” but added, “It is the result of years of hard work… And so far, the mission to return to the moon has been wonderful.” .
As for Eric Monda, director of strategic planning at ULA, he noted that it was a “flawless” takeoff, adding, “It was so good, I went out to watch it.”
The lander, named Peregrin, was developed by the start-up Astrobotic, with support from NASA, which commissioned this company to transport scientific equipment to the moon in a contract worth $108 million.
This launch is supposed to launch a series of missions supported by the US Space Agency, which wants to rely partly on the private sector to achieve its ambitions on the moon.
If Astrobotic is able to land on the moon as planned on February 23, it may become the first private company to achieve this achievement.
“Leading America's return to the surface of the moon, for the first time since Apollo, is a great honor,” Astrobotic President John Thornton said in a press conference on Friday. But he stressed that he realizes the difficulty of the mission and the risks of failure.
After the Peregrine lander separates from the rocket, Astrobotic is supposed to start Vulcan Centaur and attempt to establish contact. If all goes well, the spacecraft will then continue on its way to the Moon.
Once it reaches lunar orbit, the probe will wait until lighting conditions become suitable for a landing attempt.
The target landing site is located on the visible side of the moon near the mysterious domes formed by volcanic lava, but scientists find it difficult to explain them.
Thanks to the instruments sent, NASA will study there the surface composition as well as radiation.
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