Vulcan launch: Why is NASA going back to the moon?

NASA's first mission to the moon's surface since the Apollo missions in the 1970s has begun with the launch of a new Vulcan rocket carrying a robotic lander with seven scientific instruments. The mission, which launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 7.18am GMT (2.18am EST) on 8 January, forms the first part of NASA's ambitious Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, with six more launches planned for this year. Unlike previous NASA missions, which were carried out almost entirely in-house, these efforts will be public-private partnerships, aided by space companies. The Vulcan rocket was built by both Lockheed Martin and Boeing as part of the United Launch Alliance (ULA), and the Peregrine lander was built by space robotics company Astrobotic. The lander will take 46 days to reach the moon, before attempting to land on 23 February.