Today, NASA embarked on an ambitious lunar expedition, launching the Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission carries the Astrobotic Peregrine lander, marking NASA’s first Moon landing mission since 1972. The Peregrine, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, aims to transport scientific equipment to the lunar surface. Notably, the payload includes memorabilia from the beloved US science fiction series ‘Star Trek.’

Astrobotic Peregrine, successfully launched at approximately 02:18 local time, will become the inaugural US robotic explorer to traverse the Moon. Following the launch, Amanda Sterling, spokesperson for the Vulcan rocket’s developer company, United Launch Alliance (ULA), confirmed the Peregrine’s separation from the rocket in 51 minutes and 6 seconds.

The mission anticipates a soft lunar landing on February 23, as the Peregrine orbits elliptically until then.