Vulcan Centaur rocket carrying Nasa moon lander lifts off in Florida
We have lift off! The first launch of the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket, carrying a payload including a Nasa moon lander, has taken place in Florida.
If the mission continues to be a success, the Peregrine 1 lunar lander will be the first commercial venture to land on the moon, and the first moon landing by the US for fifty years. It is expected to reach the moon at the end of February.
Key events
Here is a screengrab from Nasa’s video of the launch. The next important moment in the mission is an engine cut-off in about ten minutes time.
The separation has happened, and there is a bit of data loss, mission control reports, but they have “two good engines” and a successful launch and successful first phase.
The next big moment will be when the first and second stages of the rocket separate. It is now 47 miles above the Earth. “Everything looking good” mission control continues to report.
The rocket is now half lift-off weight, and mission control continues to report “Everything is looking good”.
The solid booster rockets have successfully jettisoned. The main rocket engines are “operating normally”.
The rocket is now passed Mach-1 and is supersonic.
The Vulcan rocket is reporting good signals back to mission control who say “Everything is looking good 60 seconds into the flight.”
Vulcan Centaur rocket carrying Nasa moon lander lifts off in Florida
We have lift off! The first launch of the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket, carrying a payload including a Nasa moon lander, has taken place in Florida.
If the mission continues to be a success, the Peregrine 1 lunar lander will be the first commercial venture to land on the moon, and the first moon landing by the US for fifty years. It is expected to reach the moon at the end of February.
Launch vehicle, payload and launchpad have all been given go for launch. “The team are not working any issues,” says ULA’s Amanda Sterling.
We are two minutes away from the launch of the Vulcan rocket. You should see some ignition about seven seconds before take-off, and the launch pad will be deluged with coolant too. The main engines should be running about three seconds before the appointed lift-off time.