Particle.news
Download on the App Store
8 ARTICLES
·
last mo.

NASA Celebrates Blue Ghost's Historic Lunar Success

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 achieves a landmark soft moon landing, advancing NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

Named after a rare species of firefly, Blue Ghost is a compact yet sturdy four-legged lander designed for extra stability.
Image
The Blue Ghost 1 lander casts a shadow on the lunar surface after touching down on the moon March 2.

Overview

  • Blue Ghost 1 successfully landed on the moon on March 2, marking the first fully successful soft lunar landing by a commercial company on its first attempt.
  • NASA's SCALPSS cameras captured groundbreaking footage of the lander's engine plumes interacting with the lunar surface, providing critical data for future missions.
  • Six of the ten NASA payloads aboard Blue Ghost 1 met their mission success criteria, with three exceeding their stretch goals, and operations continue as the mission nears its conclusion on March 16.
  • NASA remains committed to its CLPS program despite setbacks with other landers, with new missions from Blue Origin and Astrobotic planned for later this year.
  • The SCALPSS data will support safer design and operation of future lunar landers, with public release of raw imagery expected within six months.