Private industry leads America's first moon landing since Apollo

The Astrobotic Peregrine lunar lander is prepared for encapsulation in a payload fairing for launch atop a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in December 2023. [AP Photo]

The first American spacecraft to attempt to land on the Moon in more than half a century is poised to blast off early Monday - but this time, private industry is leading the charge.

A brand-new rocket, United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur, should lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 2:18 a.m. (7:18 GMT) for its maiden voyage, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander. The weather so far appears favorable.