Built by Firefly Aerospace and Ispace, the pair of spacecraft will land separately in the moon's northern latitudes, conduct science experiments and test new technology

On its 100th launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted two lunar landers into space early Wednesday morning. The pair are two separate spacecraft from two different customers — one made by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace for NASA,

Firefly’s Blue Ghost — named after a species of U.S. Southeastern fireflies — should reach the moon first. The 6-foot-6-inches-tall (2-meter-tall) lander will attempt a touchdown in early March at Mare Crisium, a volcanic plain in the northern latitudes.

The launch comes as NASA aims to put a human on the moon again before the end of the decade - something last achieved in 1972.

SpaceX launches lunar landers for U.S. and Japanese companies, aiming to advance lunar exploration and research.

Two landers owned by US and Japanese companies to carry out separate tests on the Moon's surface.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched lunar landers to the moon for two commercial missions on Wednesday, January 15.

A spacecraft carrying NASA instruments has launched on its journey to the moon.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two lunar landers from Florida on Wednesday for Firefly Aerospace and ispace. This video shows the launch and the separation of the Blue Ghost lander in space.