Private spacecraft blasts off to attempt first US moon landing in 52 years | BBC News

A privately-owned spacecraft headed for the Moon has blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was used to launch the lunar lander, nicknamed Odysseus, with the hope that it will land on the Moon's south pole – where scientists predict there could be a source of water.

If all goes well, it will be the first time a private firm has successfully landed on the Moon.

It would also be the first US mission in 51 years to complete a soft touchdown on the lunar surface