Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS) mounted on Firefly Aerospace‘s Blue Ghost Lander represents a significant advancement in understanding how spacecraft interact with the Moon’s surface during critical landing moments.
SCALPSS serves primarily as an experiment, designed to document the effects of engine plumes on lunar regolith. The recent deployment of SCALPSS 1.1 during Blue Ghost’s successful touchdown in Mare Crisium on March 2 yielded important data for the NASA Langley Research Center team. These first-of-their-kind images document the complex interaction between spacecraft engines and lunar soil, knowledge that becomes increasingly valuable as the travel to the moon becomes more frequent.
Preliminary footage from the landing sequence reveals fascinating insights into plume-surface dynamics. The cameras, capturing 8 frames per second during descent, documented the initial interaction between Blue Ghost’s reaction control thrusters and the lunar surface, beginning approximately 28m (49 feet) above ground. As descent continued, this interaction grew increasingly complex, with thruster plumes vigorously displacing regolith before finally settling after touchdown.
The full SCALPSS 1.1 technology package includes six cameras: four short focal length Forward-Looking InfraRed (FLIR) cameras equipped with 3.2 MP CMOS sensor and two long focal length sensors. Using stereo photogrammetry techniques, researchers will combine overlapping images to generate detailed 3D digital elevation maps, providing precise before-and-after comparisons of the landing site.
It will take the team several months to fully process the data from the Blue Ghost landing. They plan to issue raw images from SCALPSS 1.1 publicly through NASA’s Planetary Data System within six months.
The SCALPSS system was originally designed for Intuitive Machines‘ Nova-C lander, highlighting NASA’s commitment to gathering this critical data across multiple Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions. Unfortunately, during the IM-1 mission, ‘hardware issues’ prevented the collection of SCALPSS data. The subsequent IM-2 mission did capture SCALPSS imagery, but this data has not been provided, possibly as it contained information about mission anomalies that contributed to the lander tipping over again. The successful Blue Ghost deployment therefore represents the first complete dataset from this innovative camera system.
The images addresses a critical knowledge gap in lunar landing dynamics. While previous missions have theorized about plume-surface interactions, SCALPSS provides direct visual evidence that will inform future landing system designs, helping engineers develop more efficient and safer lunar descent technologies.
Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies Reveals Critical Lunar Landing Dynamics
