A second private U.S. spacecraft, ‘Blue Ghost,’ is on its way to land on the Moon and is expected to touch down within hours. If successful, it will mark the second instance of a private spacecraft reaching the lunar surface.
The mission is being conducted by Firefly Aerospace, a U.S.-based space research company, under the name ‘Blue Ghost Mission 1.’ The spacecraft is scheduled to land on the Moon at 3:34 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, March 2.
Blue Ghost is set to land near the Mons Lateral region in the Mare Crisium area, located in the northeastern part of the Moon. The team behind the mission shared an update on social media, stating, “Blue Ghost is on its way to land on the Moon!” The mission has been dubbed ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky.’
This mission follows the historic first commercial lunar landing over a year ago, and it represents the second private venture to land on the Moon. The current mission is being conducted as part of NASA’s partnership with the private sector.
The spacecraft, Blue Ghost, is about the size of a walrus and has a golden hue. It was launched on January 15 with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Along its journey, the spacecraft has captured stunning visuals of both Earth and the Moon.
Blue Ghost carries 10 instruments, including two designed to analyze the Moon’s surface and a radiation-resistant computer. The mission is designed to function for a full lunar day (equivalent to 14 Earth days) on the Moon’s surface. One of the mission’s highlights will be capturing a sunset on the Moon, scheduled for March 16.
This mission follows the February 2024 lunar landing by ‘Intuitive Machines,’ the first private company to send a spacecraft to the Moon. That mission was the first to send a spacecraft to the lunar surface since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
As the Blue Ghost mission advances, the ongoing collaboration between private companies and space agencies continues to pave the way for future lunar exploration.
