Firefly Aerospace, a Texas-based startup, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming only the second private company to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon. The company’s Blue Ghost lander successfully deployed an X-band antenna to beam data and images back from the vehicle.
The landing took place within an ancient volcanic basin called Mare Crisium, near an ancient volcanic feature called Mons Latreille. Blue Ghost will study the moon’s surface for two weeks before lunar nightfall, which would make it difficult for the spacecraft to continue operations.
During its mission, several instruments on board Blue Ghost have begun collecting data, including a device that aims to sweep away moon dust and another that acquired the first GPS signal from the lunar surface. NASA is also analyzing data from an instrument designed to test how sample collection might be made more efficient in space.
Firefly’s achievement comes as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The company is not alone in its mission, as Houston-based Intuitive Machines is set to land its Athena spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, where scientists believe water ice may exist. This resource could be highly valuable for future lunar missions.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/05/science/blue-ghost-moon-landing-footage/index.html