One rocket, two missions: lunar landers built by US and Japanese companies launched their "rideshare" to the Moon, showcasing the private sector's growing role in space exploration.

Two moon landers built by private U.S. and Japanese companies are on their way to the moon after lifting off early Wednesday on a shared ride aboard a SpaceX rocket. The launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is the latest in a public-private program that put a spacecraft from Intuitive Machines on the moon last year.