Firefly Aerospace has announced that its Blue Ghost lunar lander has captured its first images of the moon from space, orbiting around Earth in a recent milestone for the Texas-based company.
The two images, posted on social media platform X, show a view of the moon from the top deck of the 6.6-foot-tall (2-meter-tall) lander and a snapshot of the celestial body itself. The spacecraft is expected to provide regular mission updates as it continues its journey to the moon, with an anticipated landing date of March 2.
In addition to lunar images, Blue Ghost has also captured footage of our planet, including an eclipse of Earth by the sun. The lander’s camera system has been capturing high-definition video and images of various celestial events, showcasing its capabilities for scientific research and exploration.
The private US spacecraft is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which aims to collect and send back data on the moon as part of NASA’s broader Artemis program. Blue Ghost will orbit Earth before embarking on a four-day journey to the moon, with plans to capture critical science data and conduct surface operations for one lunar day.
The lander carries 10 NASA science instruments aboard and is expected to leave Earth’s orbit in about one week. Firefly CEO Jason Kim has expressed excitement over sharing images and footage captured by Blue Ghost, including capturing the elusive “lunar horizon glow” phenomenon seen only by Apollo astronauts.
Blue Ghost is scheduled to land on the moon’s near side, specifically at Mons Latreille, a ancient volcanic feature within Mare Crisium. The mission aims to pave the way for a lasting lunar presence and unlock exploration further into our solar system.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/01/science/blue-ghost-moon-eclipse-pictures/index.html