Nasa hands over control as new era of moon missions readies for lift-off

Peregrine first in series involving private spacecraft as conflict between scientific and commercial lunar interests looms

To the casual observer, the preparations under way at Cape Canaveral in Florida point to nothing more than a routine launch of another spacecraft to the latest destination in the solar system.

But the mission, scheduled for take-off on Christmas Eve, marks a turning point in space exploration. Rather than running the show, Nasa is handing over control: it has paid a private company, Astrobotic, to design a spacecraft and handle its launch and landing.