Simultaneous launches signal growing private interest in lunar exploration, traditionally dominated by governments.

The mission featured two robotic lunar landers: one from Texas-based Firefly Aerospace and another from the Japanese space company ispace. Both landers, each roughly the size

Firefly's "Blue Moon" and ispace's "Resilience" are the latest in an ongoing push to gain private-sector experience exploring the moon.

The SpaceX rocket sent Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander into space. It is expected to arrive on the Moon in about 45 days.

Merritt Island, United States - January 15, 2025 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches with two commercial lunar landers from Launch Complex-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Jan. 15, 2025.