NASA’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 has reached day 15 of its 45-day transit to the Moon. The SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies) 1.1 instrument, designed by researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center, successfully captured high-resolution test images from all six cameras during a recent test run.
The camera system is designed to capture images of the interaction between the rocket plumes and foot pads with the Moon’s surface, as well as surface images before landing. The short-focal-length cameras focus on capturing plume-surface interactions, while the long-focal-length cameras take pre-landing surface shots.
These test images demonstrate that the hardware is functioning well and can collect high-quality images of plume-surface interactions upon lunar touchdown. With increasing trips to the Moon and more science instruments landing together, accurate predictions of landings are crucial. The success of the SCALPSS instrument ensures a better understanding of these interactions and will aid future missions like Blue Ghost.
Source: https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2025/01/30/nasa-tech-instrument-captures-test-images-during-blue-ghost-lunar-transit