First NASA Artemis Robotic Launch to The Moon on New ULA Vulcan Rocket

First NASA Artemis Robotic Launch to The Moon on New ULA Vulcan Rocket

United Launch Alliance (ULA)'s first Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle (VC2S) was transported to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, on January 5, 2024. For its first certification mission (Cert-1), Vulcan will launch Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander (Peregrine Mission One – PM1) and Celestis Memorial Spaceflights deep space Voyager mission (Enterprise Flight). They are currently targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface.

This launch is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis program. Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Launch of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One will carry NASA and commercial payloads to study the lunar exosphere, thermal properties, and hydrogen abundance of the lunar regolith, magnetic fields, and the radiation environment of the lunar surface. 

Learn more about Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander (Adobe PDF):

https://www.astrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peregrine-Launch_Info_Packet-Web-1.pdf

Learn about NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) - Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-lunar-payload-services/ 

Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky/United Launch Alliance

Acknowledgement: SciNews

Duration: 2 minutes

Release Date: Jan. 6, 2024

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