NASA's Blue Ghost mission successfully lands on the moon aboard Firefly Aerospace lander
NASA's Blue Ghost mission successfully lands on the moon aboard Firefly Aerospace lander
NASA’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, carried aboard Firefly Aerospace’s lander, has successfully touched down on the lunar surface. This groundbreaking mission, which aims to demonstrate a variety of scientific and technological advancements, marks a significant achievement for space exploration.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander is equipped with a range of NASA's scientific payloads designed to test and showcase lunar subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection, global navigation satellite system capabilities, radiation-resistant computing, and methods for mitigating lunar dust.
The data gathered from this mission could offer valuable insights into space weather and other cosmic forces, helping scientists better understand their impact on Earth.
Once on the Moon’s surface, the lander will begin a series of health checks on its subsystems. Afterward, it will begin its payload operations and scientific demonstrations. In the next 24 hours, Blue Ghost will deploy its surface access arm with the Electrodynamic Dust Shield and Lunar PlanetVac, calibrate the top deck gimbal for the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager, and activate its Radiation Tolerant Computer, Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies, and Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment.
The successful landing followed a critical 9-minute braking burn, which slowed Blue Ghost's velocity from 5,500 feet per second to 130 feet per second. As the lander approached its target, the main engine was shut off less than two minutes before touchdown. The lander's Reaction Control System thrusters then guided it to a safe landing, using its vision navigation system to avoid hazards like craters, slopes, and rocks, ensuring a secure touch down in the designated landing zone.
