Vulcan Rocket Blasts Off on First U.S. Moon Lander Mission in Over 50 Years

A rocket carrying the United States’ first lunar lander in over 50 years blasted off from Florida early Monday.

United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan rocket launched from Cape Canaveral at 2:18 Eastern Time, beginning a journey to the moon expected to culminate with a landing attempt on Feb. 23. It would be the first time an American spacecraft has made a soft landing on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

If Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine makes it safely to the lunar surface, the feat will also be the first time in history that a private company has successfully landed on the moon. “Yee-haw, I am so thrilled,” ULA CEO Tory Bruno said in the company’s launch control room, according to Reuters. “This has been years of hard work. So far this has been an absolutely beautiful mission.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.