Posted: Jan 15, 2025 7:45 AM EST | Last Updated: January 15 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A with a pair of lunar landers on board at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Japanese and American landers will be on moon expeditions that are each expected to be several weeks long. (John Raoux/The Associated Press) Social Sharing In a two-for-one moonshot, SpaceX launched a pair of lunar landers on Wednesday for U.S. and Japanese companies looking to jumpstart business on Earth's dusty sidekick. The two landers rocketed away in the middle of the night from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the latest in a stream of private spacecraft aiming for the moon. They shared the ride to save money, but parted company an hour into the flight exactly as planned, taking separate roundabout routes for the months-long journey. It's Take 2 for the Tokyo-based ispace, whose first lander crashed into the moon two years ago. This time, it has a rover on board with a scoop to gather up lunar dirt for study and plans to test potential food and water sources for future explorers. Lunar newcomer Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is flying 10 experiments for NASA, including a vacuum to gather dirt, a drill to measure the temperature below the surface and a device that could be used by future moonwalkers to keep the sharp, abrasive particles off their spacesuits and equipment. Firefly's Blue Ghost — named after a species of fireflies found in the U.S. — should reach the moon first. The two-metre tall lander will attempt a touchdown in early March at Mare Crisium, a volcanic plain in the northern latitudes. WATCH | See NASA's footage as U.S., Japan lunar landers are successfully launched together: See NASA's footage as U.S., Japan lunar landers are successfully launched together 8 days ago