NASA’s Blue Ghost spacecraft has completed a successful Trans Lunar Injection burn, departing Earth’s orbit and embarking on a four-day transit to the Moon’s orbit. The spacecraft will spend approximately 16 days in lunar orbit before beginning its descent operations.
During the journey, Blue Ghost has performed numerous health tests, generating over 13 gigabytes of data. All 10 NASA payloads onboard are currently healthy and ready for surface operations on the Moon.
One key milestone was successfully passing through the Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts without issue. The Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) developed by Montana State University demonstrated its ability to withstand radiation, providing valuable insights into mitigating its effects.
Additionally, NASA’s Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) detected a change in magnetic fields during an on-orbit health check. This is a positive sign that the instrument will be able to measure the Moon’s magnetic and electrical fields, shedding light on the Moon’s interior temperature and composition.
The Firefly spacecraft has also captured data and an image of the sample container from NASA’s Lunar PlanetVac (LPV) payload, confirming its operational status ahead of surface operations on the Moon. The LPV is a technology demonstration that will efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil without relying on gravity.
Stay tuned to NASA’s Artemis Blog for further updates on Blue Ghost Mission 1 as it continues its journey to the Moon.
Source: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2025/02/10