The first American spacecraft to attempt to land on the moon in more than half a century is poised to blast off early Monday — but this time, private industry is leading the charge.

A brand new rocket, United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur, should lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2:18 am (0718 GMT) for its maiden voyage, carrying Astrobotic's Peregrine Lunar Lander.

The weather appeared favorable as fueling operations got underway on Sunday night.