Firefly Aerospace announced that its Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully completed on-orbit commissioning after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, 2025. The lander acquired signal and established communications with Firefly’s Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas.
The 60-day mission, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, aims to spend approximately 45 days on-orbit and 14 days on lunar surface operations. Blue Ghost will conduct health checks on each subsystem, calibrate its propulsion system, and begin payload science operations.
The NASA payloads operating during the Earth-to-Moon transit include LuGRE, which monitors GPS signals, and RadPC, which tests the computer’s ability to withstand space radiation. Upon landing in Mare Crisium, Blue Ghost will operate 10 NASA payloads for a complete lunar day and support several science and technology demonstrations.
Firefly CEO Jason Kim said, “We’re now fully focused on execution as we look to complete our on-orbit operations, softly touch down on the lunar surface, and pave the way for humanity’s return to the Moon.” The mission is part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, which aims to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and prepare for Mars exploration.
Blue Ghost will provide regular mission updates, including high-definition imagery of a total eclipse from the Moon. The lander’s final days will include capturing a phenomenon documented by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17, where he observed a horizon glow as lunar dust levitated on the surface.
Source: https://fireflyspace.com/news