Firefly's Blue Ghost makes historic lunar landing
The Blue Ghost lander, created by Firefly Aerospace, landed on the Moon in the Mare Crisium region. The mission, which began on January 15, aims to support future crewed NASA missions.
The Blue Ghost lander, developed by the American company Firefly Aerospace, reached the surface of the Moon in the Mare Crisium region, also known as the Sea of Crises. The mission, which started on January 15, aims to conduct a series of scientific experiments that may support future crewed missions under NASA's Artemis program.
The Blue Ghost lander has reached the Moon. a new era of space exploration
Blue Ghost is equipped with ten scientific instruments that will operate for two weeks. Among the experiments are the study of regolith adhesion, testing distance measurements, and checking a radiation-resistant computer. The lander is also equipped with 12 onboard cameras that took and transmitted images of Earth and the Moon during the flight.
Firefly's Chief Executive Officer, Jason Kim, emphasized the precision of the landing. "Everything went like clockwork, even at the moment we were landing. Lunar dust appeared on our boots. We saw that everything was stable and the lander's alignment was vertical," said Kim.
The Athena lander, built by Intuitive Machines, is also heading toward the Moon. The mission launched on February 26 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and plans to land in the Mons Mouton region. Athena aims to achieve goals related to mobility, advanced communication, and surface drilling.
The Japanese lander Resilience, created by ispace, is also heading toward the Moon. Although it launched on the same rocket as Blue Ghost, its trajectory is slower, and landing is planned for Mare Frigoris, known as the Sea of Cold.
These missions represent an important step towards further exploration of the Moon and preparations for future crewed missions.
