Rocket launched from US has Ukrainian flag on board – video
A rocket has been launched to the moon in the United States with a Ukrainian flag and map on board.
The Vulcan Centaur, developed by United Launch Alliance (ULA), made its first flight on 8 January from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the website Space reports.
About 50.5 minutes after launch, the primary payload detached from the rocket - the lunar rover Peregrine, which has a metal plate depicting the flag of Ukraine on board.
If all goes well, the lunar rover will land on Earth's natural satellite in February.
This will be the first time the US has returned to the moon since the Apollo-17 mission in 1972, as well as the first-ever moon landing by a private company.
"I am so thrilled, I can't tell you how much. So far, this has been an absolutely beautiful mission back to the Moon," ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno said after Peregrine deployed.
A copy of the metal plate was presented to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by the company Spacebit in 2021. The paint on the plate can withstand extreme temperature conditions for hundreds of years.
The Peregrine lander, developed by Astrobotic, is carrying other important payloads, including five NASA scientific instruments.
Spacebit CEO Pavlo Tanasyuk said the payload consists of various materials, including metals and various space-graded coatings.
The Peregrine is also carrying human remains sent by "space burial" companies.
The mission was previously scheduled for 2022, but it was postponed due to preparatory work by United Launch Alliance.
Spacebit founder Pavlo Tanasyuk announced on Ukrainian National Flag Day last year that he would send the flag of Ukraine to the Moon at the end of 2023.
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