One rocket, two missions: lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies launched their “rideshare” to the moon on Wednesday, showcasing the private sector’s growing role in space exploration.

A Cedar Park-based aerospace company designed the lunar lander that successfully launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Wednesday, with the aim of landing on the moon in March. Firefly ...

Lunar newcomer Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is flying 10 experiments for NASA, including a vacuum to gather dirt, a drill to measure the temperature below the surface and a device that could be ...