From Fortune:

An unmanned shuttle, helmed by private company Astrobotic Technology, has launched toward the moon. Two U.S. companies are in an informal space race to land on the lunar body; NASA has offered millions in contracts to both. This launch is part of NASA’s Artemis program which plans to return astronauts to the moon’s surface within the next few years. The last U.S. lunar landing mission took place in 1972. The Soviet Union and the U.S. had previous successful moon landings, and China and India have successfully landed on the moon.

NASA plans to send astronauts in the next few years
Astrobotic’s contract for the Peregrine lander is worth $108 million
There have been several successful moon landings from different countries in the past

SpaceX and Intuitive Machines are also planning moon landers
The lander from Intuitive Machines will share the moon’s surface with Astrobotic Technology’s
The landing process is going to be a challenging experience

Astrobotic’s lander, Peregrine, will carry various items, including human remains
There were objections from the Navajo Nation regarding the launch
A spaceflight memorial company was one of the companies who bought room on the lander

Cargo fares for Peregrine range from a few hundred dollars to $1.2 million per kilogram. The company doesn’t expect to break even on this flight.
This is seen as a flight to fulfill dreams and hope
There are also remains on the rocket’s upper stage, which will fly around the sun



Read more: Commercial U.S. lunar lander heading toward the moon—the first in more than 50 years