An unmanned Vulcan rocket blasted off from Florida to send a robotic spacecraft toward the moon.
The Peregrine lander carries five scientific instruments belonging to the US space agency NASA. If the vehicle lands gently on the moon's surface, it will be the first American mission to do so since the famous Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s.
Vulcan departed Cape Canaveral at 07:18 GMT (02:18 EDT). The Peregrine lander is expected to attempt landing on February 23.
In the future, the Vulcan rocket will launch many US national security missions.
Read more: Vulcan rocket launches a special American mission to the moon
