{"id":181671,"date":"2025-03-02T19:36:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-02T09:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=581701f0d6007d54c46e737d02edf9b9"},"modified":"2025-03-02T19:36:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T09:36:14","slug":"touchdown-carrying-nasa-science-fireflys-blue-ghost-lands-on-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=181671","title":{"rendered":"Touchdown! Carrying NASA Science, Firefly\u2019s Blue Ghost Lands on Moon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"First<\/a><\/figure>
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First image captured by Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander, taken shortly after confirmation of a successful landing at Mare Crisium on the Moon’s near side. This is the second lunar delivery of NASA science and tech instruments as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.<\/div>\n
Credit: Firefly Aerospace<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Carrying a suite of NASA science and technology, Firefly Aerospace\u2019s Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully landed at 3:34 a.m. EST on Sunday near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a more than 300-mile-wide basin located in the northeast quadrant of the Moon\u2019s near side.<\/p>\n

The Blue Ghost lander is in an upright and stable configuration, and the successful Moon delivery is part of NASA\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis<\/a> campaign. This is the first CLPS delivery for Firefly, and their first Moon landing.  <\/p>\n

The 10 NASA science and technology instruments aboard the lander will operate on the lunar surface for approximately one lunar day, or about 14 Earth days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis incredible achievement demonstrates how NASA and American companies are leading the way in space exploration for the benefit of all,\u201d said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. \u201cWe have already learned many lessons \u2013 and the technological and science demonstrations onboard Firefly\u2019s Blue Ghost Mission 1 will improve our ability to not only discover more science, but to ensure the safety of our spacecraft instruments for future human exploration \u2013 both in the short term and long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since launching<\/a> from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 15, Blue Ghost traveled more than 2.8 million miles, downlinked more than 27 GB of data, and supported several science operations. This included signal tracking from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) at a record-breaking distance of 246,000 miles with the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment<\/a> payload \u2013 showing NASA can use the same positioning systems on Earth when at the Moon. Science conducted during the journey also included radiation tolerant computing through the Van Allen Belts with the Radiation-Tolerant Computer System<\/a> payload and measurements of magnetic field changes in space with the Lunar Magnetotelluric<\/a> Sounder payload.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe science and technology we send to the Moon now helps prepare the way for future NASA exploration and long-term human presence to inspire the world for generations to come,\u201d said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cWe\u2019re sending these payloads by working with American companies \u2013 which supports a growing lunar economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

During surface operations, the NASA instruments will test and demonstrate lunar subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods. The data captured will benefit humanity by providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces impact Earth.  <\/p>\n

Before payload operations conclude, teams will aim to capture imagery of the lunar sunset and how lunar dust reacts to solar influences during lunar dusk conditions, a phenomenon first documented by former NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan<\/a> on Apollo 17. Following the lunar sunset, the lander will operate for several hours into the lunar night.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of our entire team, I want to thank NASA for entrusting Firefly as their lunar delivery provider,\u201d said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. \u201cBlue Ghost\u2019s successful Moon landing has laid the groundwork for the future of commercial exploration across cislunar space. We\u2019re now looking forward to more than 14 days of surface operations to unlock even more science data that will have a substantial impact on future missions to the Moon and Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n

To date, five vendors have been awarded 11 lunar deliveries under CLPS and are sending more than 50 instruments to various locations on the Moon, including the lunar South Pole. Existing CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028. <\/p>\n

Learn more about NASA\u2019s CLPS initiative at:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/clps<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

-end-<\/p>\n

Amber Jacobson \/ Karen Fox 
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ karen.c.fox@nasa.gov<\/a> <\/p>\n

Natalia Riusech \/ Nilufar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
nataila.s.riusech@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

Antonia Jaramillo
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-501-8425
antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

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