Firefly Aerospace’s “Blue Ghost” moon lander has made history by capturing a stunning lunar eclipse from its orbit around the Earth. The lander, which is set to attempt a landing on the moon’s surface in about a month, has been sharing breathtaking images of our planet and its final destination.
Launched last month on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Blue Ghost has been undergoing systems checks and preparing for its translunar injection burn. However, during its time in orbit, the lander has been busy taking stunning photos of the Earth, which were recently shared by Firefly Aerospace.
One of these images shows a faint and distant moon being eclipsed by a brilliant bright Earth as Blue Ghost orbits the planet. The post on X reads: “I spy with my little lander, a Moon in the distance… Check out Blue Ghost’s amazing view of Earth eclipsing the Moon as the lander travels on orbit.”
The “Ghost Riders in the Sky” mission is Firefly Aerospace’s first attempt to land anything on the moon, and it carries 10 NASA research payloads designed to further our understanding of the lunar environment. The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon through the Artemis program.
Another lunar lander, Resilience, built by Japan’s ispace, was also launched on the same Falcon 9 rocket and is targeting a final landing zone in Mare Frigoris four months from now. Blue Ghost, on the other hand, will attempt to land in Mare Crisium about a month after its launch.
Once on the surface, Blue Ghost will have two weeks to fulfill its operations and record the lunar sunset, a phenomenon last observed during the final Apollo mission. The lander’s power will then be reduced as it powers down, leaving behind a recorded message that will capture the lunar environment.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/private-blue-ghost-moon-lander-sees-gorgeous-lunar-eclipse-from-earth-orbit-video