Blue ghost toucing the lunar surface. ImageCourtasy: Fireflyspace
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Firefly Aerospace, an American private aerospace firm founded in 2017, has made a remarkable achievement by successfully landing a spacecraft called ‘Blue ghost’ on the moon for the first time in human history.
When did this happen?
The Blue ghost started its journey on January 15, 2025 and completed its 45-day Earth to Moon transit prior to landing on the moon on March 2, 2025. With this achievement, Firefly proves to take a giant leap in commercial space explorations.
Where Did Blue Ghost Land?
The landing site of the Blue Ghost spacecraft is located next to Mare Crisium, which is a large impact crater situated on the Moon’s surface that has volcanic vents making it scientifically interesting for the lunar exploration.
How will this landing help for future programs?
This lunar landing mission is, in collaboration with NASA’s Artemis Program, to facilitate reduction in costs and speed up the pace of lunar exploration.
Artemis Program aims to establish a permanent human base on the moon to help the Mar’s human missions.
What is the budget?
NASA funded this mission at a cost of $101 million, plus an additional $44 million for scientific investigation
What are the principal scientific instruments on Blue Ghost?
– Lunar regolith suction system to analyze the makeup of Moon dust.
– Drill that will measure temperature of subsurface up to 3 meters depth.
– High-definition cameras to capture the March 14 total solar eclipse.
– Instruments to monitor lunar sunset on March 16, monitoring the effects of solar radiation on moon dust.
How long will the mission last?
Blue Ghost will be operational for approximately two weeks on its on board battery. It seeks to obtain key photographs of the total eclipse and lunar sunset, revealing new information about the impact of solar activity on the Moon.
Video: Watch the landing
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