SpaceX has used its Falcon 9 rocket to send a privately funded mission toward the surface of the moon. After a series of delays, HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) at 2:38 AM EST (07:38 UTC) on Dec. 11.
An initial launch window on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 30 was forgone “to allow for additional pre-flight checkouts.” A backup opportunity on Dec. 1 was called off “after further inspections of the launch vehicle and data review.”