SpaceX

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday at 06:09 GMT, carrying lunar landers from two private companies - US-based Firefly Aerospace and Japanese firm ispace. The mission marks another step in commercial space exploration, with both landers set to conduct separate lunar missions after reaching Moon orbit. Firefly's Blue Ghost lander is expected to complete its journey in approximately 45 days, focusing on drilling operations, sample collection, and studying Earth's magnetic field through X-ray imaging. These activities aim to support future lunar missions and enhance understanding of the effects of space weather on Earth. ispace's Resilience lander faces a longer five-month journey to the lunar surface, where it will deploy a rover and attempt to collect regolith, the Moon's loose surface material. The mission, supported by NASA, represents the agency's largest commercial lunar delivery to […]