Overview

• The 'Blue Ghost' lander from Firefly Aerospace successfully touched down in the Mare Crisium region of the Moon, a 500-kilometer-wide plain.
• This is the second-ever commercial lunar landing, following Intuitive Machines' 'Nova-C' mission in 2024, though earlier attempts by other firms have faced challenges.
• Equipped with ten NASA instruments, 'Blue Ghost' will conduct studies on lunar dust, the Moon's surface, and its interaction with solar phenomena over a two-week mission period.
• The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to gather data efficiently by partnering with private companies.
• Data from 'Blue Ghost' will contribute to NASA's Artemis program, which plans to return humans to the Moon, including the first woman and a non-white astronaut, by 2027.