Firefly Aerospace's 'Blue Ghost' Achieves Successful Lunar Landing

The second commercial lunar landing in history marks a milestone for NASA's partnership with private companies under the CLPS program.

The 'Blue Ghost' lunar lander successfully landed in the Mare Crisium region of the Moon, a 500-kilometer-wide plain, as part of Firefly Aerospace's first Moon mission.
This marks the second successful commercial lunar landing, following Intuitive Machines' 'Odysseus' mission last year, though 'Odysseus' tipped over upon landing.
The mission, named 'Ghost Riders in the Sky,' is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program aimed at cost-effective lunar exploration through private partnerships.
'Blue Ghost' carries ten scientific instruments and will operate for two weeks, conducting surface drilling, sample collection, and studying lunar soil's reaction to sunlight during dusk.
Data from the mission will contribute to NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon, including the first woman and person of color, by 2027.