Peregrine 1: the first U.S. lunar lander in more than 50 years headed for the moon

The Peregrine 1 mission will be the first ever by a private company and the first launch to the moon by Americans in more than five decades.

The U.S. spacecraft, seeking to become the first American mission in 51 years to make a soft landing on the moon, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

It is also the first-ever launch by a private company in the space race to deliver supplies to NASA and other customers.

Astrobotic Technology's robotic lander, called Peregrine 1, is equipped with five scientific instruments that will study the moon's surface environment ahead of a human mission later this decade.