Firefly Aerospace announced the successful completion of its Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander mission. Operations concluded on March 16th, after nearly 14 and a half days of operation, exceeding all mission objectives. The lander transmitted over 119 gigabytes of data, with 51 gigabytes dedicated to science and technology from 10 NASA-sponsored payloads.
“We’re incredibly proud of the demonstrations Blue Ghost enabled from tracking GPS signals on the moon for the first time to robotically drilling deeper into the lunar surface than ever before,” said Jason Kim, chief executive of Firefly, in a statement. The mission included various experiments, such as monitoring engine plume, testing an electrodynamic dust shield, and using nitrogen gas for regolith sampling. A bonus objective was achieved with the observation of a March 14th eclipse.
The mission's success is particularly significant given it was Firefly's inaugural moon landing attempt. “This team continues to make near-impossible achievements look easy, but there is no such thing as an easy moon landing, especially on your first attempt,” commented Will Coogan, Blue Ghost chief engineer at Firefly. He highlighted the team's dedication and problem-solving skills as key to the mission's success.
NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which funded the mission with a $101.5 million task order, also celebrated the achievement. “So overall, it’s been a fabulous, wonderful proof positive that the CLPS model does work,” stated Brad Bailey, assistant deputy associate administrator for exploration at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
Firefly has secured contracts for two additional lunar lander missions through NASA’s CLPS program: Blue Ghost 2, targeting a far-side landing in 2024; and Blue Ghost 3, planned for 2028, focusing on the near side.