Space X Launches Lunar Landers towards Moon

Space X has launched a rocket towards the moon with two private lunar landers on board.

The rocket took off from Florida, with landers crafted by Japan's ispace and America's Firefly Aerospace, both ride sharing to the Moon.

Once in the Moon's orbit, the landers will separate and carry out independent missions.

Ispace's resilience lander is expected to take up to five months to touchdown on the Moon, where it will try to gather loose surface material.

Firefly's rover, Blue Ghost, will take around six weeks to arrive; it will then drill, scoop up samples an take X-ray photos of Earth's magnetic field.

The two-meter-tall machine will try to land at Mare Crisium, a volcanic plain in the northern latitudes.

NASA is supporting the endeavour; if it goes to plan, it will be the largest commercial mission to the Moon so far.