First U.S. lunar landing mission since 1972
Christmas Eve is expected to mark a major milestone: The U.S. will launch its first unmanned soft lunar landing mission since 1968, the final year of the Surveyor program. The last American manned mission to make a soft landing on the moon was NASA's Apollo 17.
The lunar lander is called Peregrine, and it will be the primary cargo on the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur V, which is scheduled to head to space at 1:49 the morning of Dec. 24.
