Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander made history this morning, marking the first commercial spacecraft to achieve a successful soft landing on the Moon. Touching down at 2:34 AM CST on March 2, 2025, the Blue Ghost landed upright and stable, positioned in the Mare Crisium region near the Mons Latreille volcanic feature.
CEO Jason Kim expressed his excitement, stating, "Firefly is literally and figuratively over the Moon." The mission, part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, involved carrying ten NASA instruments aimed at conducting various scientific operations over two weeks.
During its descent, the Blue Ghost successfully performed two hazard avoidance maneuvers, demonstrating its technological sophistication. According to Ray Allensworth, the mission's programme manager, "We did do two hazard avoidance maneuvers on the way down 5, underscoring the precise landing capabilities of the lander.
Blue Ghost's landing is significant not just for Firefly Aerospace but for the commercial space industry as it lays the groundwork for future lunar exploration and economic activities on the Moon, where NASA plans to send astronauts later this decade. The $97 million CLPS contract covers both the delivery and science operations associated with the mission.
The lunar lander, roughly the size of a hippopotamus, is equipped to conduct various experiments, including lunar subsurface drilling, X-ray imaging, and dust mitigation tests. It is set to operate under the lunar day for the next 14 Earth days, capturing high-definition images of the lunar environment and returning valuable data for NASA and other partners. On March 14, Blue Ghost will take images of the Earth blocking the Sun during the total eclipse, and on March 16, it will document the lunar sunset, including measurements related to lunar dust levitation.
Throughout its 45-day mission, Blue Ghost traveled more than 2.8 million miles, downlinking over 27 GB of data back to Earth, including significant findings from its payload operations. The lander successfully navigated enormous distances and maintained communication with its home base at Firefly's Mission Control Center near Austin, Texas. "With the hardest part behind us, Firefly looks forward to completing more than 14 days of surface operations," said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace.
This mission is part of NASA's efforts to stimulate competition among private companies for lunar landings, marking the third mission under the CLPS program. Historically, landings on the Moon were limited to state-led efforts from the US, Russia, China, India, and Japan; Firefly's success now adds the first private spacecraft to the list.
Looking forward, other private companies are also set to launch their missions. Intuitive Machines is expected to land its Athena lander on March 6, 2025, just four days after Blue Ghost, paving the way for what may become the start of intense commercial activity on the Moon. Other competitors like ispace are also preparing to make their lunar debuts, enhancing the race for lunar exploration.
Kim emphasized the growing potential for private industries saying, "We want to thank NASA for entrusting the Firefly team, and we look forward to delivering even more science data supporting future human missions to the Moon and Mars. We got some Moon dust on our boots," he concluded with pride, reflecting the accomplishment of his team.
Overall, Blue Ghost Mission 1 has set new standards for commercial lunar capabilities, pushing the boundaries of space exploration and inspiring future missions as humanity eyes the next steps on the Moon and potentially beyond. Firefly Aerospace intends to provide regular updates on the Blue Ghost Mission 1 via their dedicated webpage, keeping the public engaged with progress and developments as they happen.