Photo credit: www.nasa.gov

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Set for Moon Landing

Firefly Aerospace is preparing to land its Blue Ghost lunar lander on the Moon, with a scheduled touchdown no earlier than 3:45 a.m. EST on Sunday, March 2. This mission aims to place Blue Ghost in the vicinity of Mare Crisium, a vast lunar plain located in the northeast quadrant of the near side of the Moon. The landing is a part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, aligning with the Artemis program’s goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

Live coverage of the landing event, co-hosted by NASA and Firefly, will commence at 2:30 a.m. EST. This broadcast will be available on NASA+ roughly 75 minutes prior to the scheduled touchdown. Viewers will also have access to the stream on Firefly’s YouTube channel, which will provide real-time updates and blog posts detailing the mission’s key milestones throughout the descent.

Members of the media wishing to attend the in-person event in Austin, Texas, can apply for credentials by submitting a request through this form by Monday, February 24.

Post-landing, NASA and Firefly plan to hold a news conference to highlight the success of the mission and discuss forthcoming scientific opportunities on the lunar surface. Details regarding the timing of this briefing will be shared after the landing takes place.

The Blue Ghost lander was launched on January 15 at 1:11 a.m. EST aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, specifically from Launch Complex 39A. The mission carries ten scientific instruments and technology demonstrations developed by NASA, which aim to enhance our understanding of the Moon’s environment and assess technologies for future human landings, both on the Moon and Mars.

Through the CLPS initiative, NASA collaborates with a range of American companies to facilitate scientific and technological deliveries to the lunar surface. These companies can compete for contracts that encompass all aspects of lunar delivery services, including payload integration and operations, launch, and the landing process itself. NASA’s CLPS contracts, valued at a cumulative total of $2.6 billion through 2028, include various indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity arrangements. Firefly received its contract in February 2021 to transport the ten NASA payloads to the Moon at a cost of approximately $93.3 million (later adjusted to $101.5 million).

As part of the Artemis campaign, these commercial robotic missions are essential for conducting scientific research, testing innovative technologies, and demonstrating essential capabilities on and around the Moon. Such efforts are critical to prepare for subsequent crewed exploration of the lunar surface, eventually paving the way for human missions to Mars.

Engage with the Mission on Social Media

To follow the mission and engage with updates, use the hashtag #Artemis on social media platforms such as X, Facebook, and Instagram. Stay connected by following and tagging relevant accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASA_Johnson, @NASAArtemis, @NASAMoon

Facebook: NASA, NASAJohnsonSpaceCenter, NASAArtemis

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAJohnson, @NASAArtemis

For further information regarding NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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Source
www.nasa.gov