Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost successfully lands on the Moon, delivering NASA science payloads to further exploration of lunar technology and space weather.
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| Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully lands on the Moon, delivering advanced NASA technology and science payloads as part of NASA’s Artemis program. Image: NASA |
Washington, USA — March 2, 2025:
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 has made history, successfully landing on the Moon early Sunday at 3:34 a.m. EST. The lander, carrying a suite of NASA science and technology payloads, touched down near Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a 300-mile-wide basin on the Moon's near side. This marks a significant milestone for both Firefly and NASA, as the mission is part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis program.
The Blue Ghost lander, which is positioned upright and stable, is Firefly’s first successful Moon landing and their first CLPS delivery. Ten NASA science instruments aboard the lander will operate for approximately 14 Earth days, or one lunar day, as they gather critical data to support future lunar missions and long-term space exploration.
“This incredible achievement demonstrates how NASA and American companies are leading the way in space exploration for the benefit of all,” said NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro. “The technological and scientific demonstrations on Blue Ghost will improve not only our science capabilities but also ensure the safety of our spacecraft and instruments for future human missions.”
Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15, the Blue Ghost traveled over 2.8 million miles, downlinking more than 27 GB of data during its journey. The mission supported a range of science operations, including record-breaking signal tracking from the Lunar Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and radiation-tolerant computing during its passage through the Van Allen Belts.
On the lunar surface, Blue Ghost will test innovative technologies like subsurface drilling, regolith sample collection, and lunar dust mitigation. These experiments will help understand space weather, cosmic radiation, and other factors that influence both Earth and the Moon.
Before its payload operations conclude, the Blue Ghost team plans to capture imagery of the lunar sunset and observe the unique interaction of lunar dust with solar radiation, a phenomenon famously documented by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan. The lander will continue to operate into the lunar night, providing valuable data that could influence future missions to the Moon and Mars.
“On behalf of Firefly Aerospace, I want to express our gratitude to NASA for entrusting us with this lunar delivery mission,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “The successful landing of Blue Ghost sets the stage for more commercial exploration in cislunar space and strengthens the foundation for future scientific and exploration endeavors.”
With more than 50 instruments set to be delivered to the Moon under NASA’s CLPS initiative, Firefly’s mission highlights the growing collaboration between American companies and NASA in advancing space exploration. The CLPS program has a cumulative maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028, underscoring the importance of private sector involvement in the next era of lunar exploration.