Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost spacecraft has captured rare and stunning photos of our home planet, including a breathtaking selfie with Earth eclipsing the moon. The spacecraft is now in orbit around the moon, with a planned landing date of March 2, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. This mission aims to further our understanding of the moon while demonstrating new technology.
The Blue Ghost lander contains 10 science payloads designed to collect lunar samples, measure electric and magnetic fields, and study lunar dust. It launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15 and completed a four-day journey to the moon before reaching lunar orbit on February 13. The spacecraft has already shared several amazing photos and videos, including a unique “selfie” with Earth and the moon.
The lander took advantage of its low altitude to capture footage of the lunar far side, showcasing craters and hills against the black sky. It also filmed the surface of the cratered, lumpy terrain. Blue Ghost’s goal is to deploy several experiments after landing, which will help us understand how the moon formed, study lunar dust, and test new technologies for future moon missions.
With its successful mission, Blue Ghost has made a significant leap forward in lunar exploration and could potentially become only the second private lunar lander to touch down on the moon’s surface.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/blue-ghost-spacecraft-captures-rare-stunnning-views-of-earth-eclipsing-the-moon