Firefly Aerospace has marked a significant milestone in commercial lunar exploration, achieving 100% of its mission objectives during its NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration sponsored Blue Ghost Mission 1.
The mission featured the first fully successful commercial Moon landing on March 2, followed by more than 14 days (346 hours) of daylight operations and an additional 5 hours of function into the lunar night, with final data transmission received on March 16. This achievement represents the longest commercial operations conducted on the lunar surface to date.
The ten NASA payloads successfully deployed on the mission accomplished the following:
● LuGRE: Successfully acquired and tracked Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals obtaining a position lock. https://lnkd.in/d3SbvfSw
●NGLR: Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector (NGLR) reflected laser pulses from Earth-based Lunar Laser Ranging Observatories. https://lnkd.in/dX_d9btW
● LMS: Deployed tethered electrodes extending up to 20m (60 feet) from the lander to measure electric and magnetic fields. https://lnkd.in/dkZYMN2i
● SCALPSS: Documented the lander’s descent and touchdown, providing insights into engine plume effects on the surface. https://lnkd.in/dsDEtYc6
● LISTER: Drilled approximately 1 m (3 feet) into the lunar surface to measure heat flow from the Moon’s interior. https://lnkd.in/d6vzxHYG
● EDS: The Electronic Dust Shield (EDS) demonstrated dust removal from surfaces using electrodynamic forces. https://lnkd.in/dtpw5Ttk
● RadPC: Demonstrated radiation-resistant computing capabilities during transit and on the lunar surface.
● RAC: Examined regolith adherence to various materials to improve protection for future spacecraft and habitats.
● LEXI: Captured X-ray images studying solar wind interaction with Earth’s magnetic field.
● Lunar PlanetVac: Successfully collected and sorted lunar regolith using pressurized nitrogen gas.
Looking forward, Firefly is preparing for annual lunar missions, with hardware already in development for Blue Ghost Mission 2, which will utilize the Blue Ghost lander and Elytra Dark orbital vehicle for operations in lunar orbit and on the far side of the Moon.
Firefly Aerospace Successfully Completes 14 Days of Surface Operations on the Moon
