Begin by setting up a Python environment on your machine. You can use virtualenv or conda to create an isolated environment. This will help manage dependencies and ensure your project is organized. Install Python if you haven't already, then create and activate your environment using:
```bash
python -m venv spacex_rabbitmq_env
source spacex_rabbitmq_env/bin/activate # On Windows use: .\spacex_rabbitmq_env\Scripts\activate
```

Install the necessary Python packages for interacting with the SpaceX API and RabbitMQ. Use `requests` for HTTP requests and `pika` for RabbitMQ. You can install these using pip:
```bash
pip install requests pika
```

Write a Python script to fetch data from the SpaceX API. Use the `requests` library to make GET requests to the API endpoints. For example, to get the latest launch data:
```python
import requests

def fetch_spacex_data():
response = requests.get('https://api.spacexdata.com/v4/launches/latest')
if response.status_code == 200:
return response.json()
else:
raise Exception('Failed to fetch data from SpaceX API')

spacex_data = fetch_spacex_data()
```

Set up a RabbitMQ server on your local machine or a server you have access to. If you haven't installed RabbitMQ, you can download it from the official website. Run RabbitMQ server using:
```bash
rabbitmq-server
```
Ensure that the RabbitMQ server is running and accessible.

Use the `pika` library to establish a connection to your RabbitMQ server. Define a function to create this connection and a channel:
```python
import pika

def connect_to_rabbitmq():
connection = pika.BlockingConnection(pika.ConnectionParameters('localhost'))
channel = connection.channel()
return connection, channel

connection, channel = connect_to_rabbitmq()
```

Create a queue in RabbitMQ and publish the SpaceX data to this queue. Ensure the queue is declared before publishing:
```python
def publish_to_queue(channel, data):
channel.queue_declare(queue='spacex_data')
channel.basic_publish(exchange='',
routing_key='spacex_data',
body=str(data))
print("Data published to RabbitMQ")

publish_to_queue(channel, spacex_data)
```

After publishing the data, close the RabbitMQ connection to free resources. This ensures your application runs efficiently:
```python
def close_connection(connection):
connection.close()

close_connection(connection)
```

By following these steps, you can successfully move data from the SpaceX API to RabbitMQ without the need for third-party connectors or integrations. Each step provides a logical progression from setting up the environment to fetching, publishing, and cleaning up.