This mission, named ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky,’ happened just after the first commercial lunar landing.
Firefly Aerospace, a space company, announced the Blue Ghost Mission 1’s success on Sunday. This event strengthens NASA’s work with private companies for Moon exploration. It also marks history’s first successful commercial Moon landing.
“#BlueGhost has landed!” the company posted on X. “Firefly is now the first commercial business to land on the Moon.” This small step is a giant leap for commercial exploration. Firefly congratulates its team, partners, and NASA for this great achievement. It opens doors for future Moon and Mars missions.
Pic Curtsey-Youtube
Blue Ghost, about the size of a car, launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15. The lander adjusted its orbit before landing near an old volcano on Mare Crisium. This basin faces Earth on the Moon.
Firefly’s mission joined two other lunar projects by Intuitive Machines and ispace. This shows a new space race is happening.
Firefly Aerospace shared updates before the landing. “T-2 hours until #BlueGhost starts its path to Mare Crisium,” they announced. A 19-second burn happened on the Moon’s far side during a blackout. The #GhostRiders checked the route to Mare Crisium after regaining signal.
Blue Ghost carries ten science tools. These include a soil analyzer, a computer that resists radiation, and a test for lunar GPS. It will also record a lunar sunset to study how dust lifts from sunlight. Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan saw this effect first.
The project supports NASA’s Artemis program, using commercial firms to explore the Moon. NASA gave Firefly a $101 million contract for this mission. The lander will work for 14 days before the cold lunar night ends it.
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