A Fourth Blue Ghost Lander Will Head to the Lunar Surface Four Years from Now...

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Awarded $177 Million NASA Contract for Mission to the Moon’s South Pole (Press Release)

Cedar Park, Texas – Firefly Aerospace, a market leading space and defense technology company, was awarded a $176.7 million NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contract to deliver five NASA-sponsored payloads to the Moon’s South Pole in 2029. The mission will utilize Firefly’s Elytra orbital vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander to enable payload operations that include evaluating the Moon’s South Pole resources, such as hydrogen, water and other minerals, and studying the radiation and thermal environment that could affect future astronauts and lunar infrastructure.

“Firefly is honored to support another NASA CLPS task order as a proven, reliable partner for robotic missions to the Moon,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Following our first Blue Ghost mission that made history just a few months ago, this bold Firefly team proved we have the right mix of grit, innovation and dedication to not only stick the landing, but also complete all scientific objectives for our payload partners. We’ve set the bar high, and we aim to continue setting new records in our missions to come with our active production line of Blue Ghost landers.”

During Blue Ghost Mission 4 operations, Firefly’s Elytra Dark transfer vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and remain on orbit to provide a long-haul communications relay for the mission. Blue Ghost will then land in the Moon’s South Pole region, deploy the rovers, and enable payloads operations with data, power and communications services for more than 12 days on the lunar surface.

The NASA-sponsored payloads onboard Blue Ghost include two rovers – the MoonRanger rover and a Canadian Space Agency rover – as well as a Laser Ablation Ionization Mass Spectrometer (LIMS), a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA), and the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume Surface Studies (SCALPSS), which also flew on Blue Ghost Mission 1. These payloads will help uncover the composition and resources available at the Moon’s South Pole, advance lunar navigation, evaluate the chemical composition of lunar regolith, and further study the effects of a lander’s plume on the Moon’s surface during landings.

Following Blue Ghost Mission 4 operations, Elytra Dark will remain operational in lunar orbit for more than five years in support of Firefly’s Ocula lunar imaging service. The mission enables a third Elytra Dark in Firefly’s growing constellation to provide customers with faster revisit times for lunar mapping, mission planning, situational awareness, and mineral detection services. The first two Elytra Dark vehicles will launch as part of Blue Ghost Mission 2 to the far side of the Moon in 2026 and Blue Ghost Mission 3 to the Gruithuisen Domes in 2028.

“Firefly’s Elytra Dark spacecraft are great companions for Blue Ghost – they’re highly maneuverable vehicles built with the same flight-proven components and propulsion system that successfully landed Blue Ghost on the Moon,” said Chris Clark, Vice President of Spacecraft. “As our Elytra constellation continues to grow in lunar orbit, Firefly is in a unique position to provide lunar imaging services and a communications relay for missions anywhere on the Moon’s surface. And with extra payload capacity on both Elytra and Blue Ghost, we invite additional government and commercial customers to join our fourth mission that’s built upon the same reliable architecture and led by the same trusted team.”

Source: Firefly Aerospace

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Firefly Aerospace

The Latest Update on the Second and Third Blue Ghost Moon Missions...

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace Announces New Lunar Imaging Service on its Elytra Spacecraft (Press Release)

Cedar Park, Texas – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced a new lunar imaging service, named Ocula, offered through Firefly’s Elytra orbital vehicles as early as 2026. Ocula is enabled by high-resolution telescopes from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) that operate onboard Elytra in lunar orbit and provide ultraviolet and visible spectrum imaging – a key capability to identify mineral deposits on the Moon’s surface, map future landing sites with higher fidelity, and enable cislunar situational awareness.

“Firefly is known for defining new categories in the space industry, and Ocula is no exception,” said Jason Kim, CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “Ocula will be one of the first, if not the first, commercial lunar imaging service on the market. Powered by a constellation of Elytra vehicles in lunar orbit, and eventually Mars orbit, Ocula will provide critical data that informs future human and robotic missions and supports national security with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. This service will fill a void for our nation with advanced lunar imaging capabilities and a sustainable commercial business model.”

Firefly’s Ocula service will be activated onboard Elytra Dark that is first serving as a transfer vehicle for Blue Ghost Mission 2, set to launch in 2026. Elytra will then provide a long-haul communications relay and radio frequency calibration services for Blue Ghost and its payloads after the lander touches down on the far side of the Moon. Following completion of the Blue Ghost mission, Elytra will remain operational in lunar orbit for more than five years, capturing continuous imagery and autonomously transmitting the data back to Earth.

The telescope system onboard Elytra is capable of capturing up to 0.2-meter resolution of the lunar surface at an altitude of 50 kilometers, further advancing the capabilities of current U.S. orbiters. With ultraviolet and visible spectrum capabilities, the telescopes are designed to support situational awareness of other objects in cislunar space, enable fine-grained lunar surface details, and identify concentrations of ilmenite, which indicates the presence of helium-3.

“LLNL is contributing our optical telescopes to help enable this new commercial imaging service for lunar mapping and domain awareness,” said Ben Bahney, program leader for space at LLNL. “There is no shortage of exploration and science this system can support, including more accurate observations of asteroid 2024 YR4 as it approaches the Moon in 2032. LLNL has a long history of supporting NASA and the DoD, including sending another optical system to lunar orbit on the Clementine mission in 1994. We are thrilled to go back to the Moon with Firefly, leveraging our proven capabilities in support of sustainable operations and national security on and around the Moon.”

Firefly will license the data to government and commercial customers at a low cost by initially unlocking the Ocula service onboard Firefly’s existing missions that are already funded, including Blue Ghost Mission 2 and Blue Ghost Mission 3. Set to launch in 2028, Blue Ghost Mission 3 includes another Elytra Dark that will remain operational in lunar orbit for more than five years and capture additional imagery with LLNL telescopes.

As the company continues to grow its spacecraft production capabilities, Firefly will expand its constellation of Elytra vehicles in lunar orbit to further enhance the Ocula service and enable faster revisit times for situational awareness, resource detection and mission planning. Longer term, the service can also be extended to Mars and other planetary bodies.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

The Second Blue Ghost Lander Will Carry a Wheeled Passenger Built in the Middle East to the Lunar Surface...

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace Adds UAE’s Rashid 2 Rover to Blue Ghost Mission to the Far Side of the Moon (Press Release)

Cedar Park, Texas – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced a new agreement with the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to deliver the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid 2 Rover to the far side of the Moon on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander. The Rashid 2 Rover will join Firefly’s second lunar mission in 2026 in addition to payloads from Australia, the European Space Agency and NASA as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.

“On the heels of Firefly’s flawless Moon landing and operations, our team is looking forward to collaborating with the UAE and further expanding our representation of Artemis Accords nations on this groundbreaking mission to the far side of the Moon,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “We’re honored to support the international space community with our versatile Blue Ghost lander and Elytra spacecraft that can stack together to provide unique access to both lunar orbit and the lunar surface.”

The Rashid 2 Rover will demonstrate lunar surface mobility on the far side of the Moon and utilize various materials on its wheels to evaluate their durability when exposed to lunar dust. The data collected will help guide the development of future lunar technologies, such as spacesuits, habitats and other critical infrastructure. Utilizing multiple cameras and probes, the rover will also study the Moon’s plasma, geology and thermal conditions in support of future in-situ resource utilization.

“The strategic agreement signed with Firefly Aerospace marks a significant advancement in the UAE’s growing role in shaping the future of lunar exploration,” said H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General of MBRSC. “Through the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid 2 Rover, the UAE will become one of the few nations to explore the far side of the Moon. The mission will deliver valuable scientific data on the lunar surface, plasma environment and dust behavior—contributing to global knowledge and supporting future lunar infrastructure development. As we prepare for this historic milestone, we remain dedicated to expanding the UAE’s contributions to humanity’s long-term presence in space.”

During Blue Ghost Mission 2 operations, Firefly’s Elytra vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander and the European Space Agency’s Lunar Pathfinder satellite in lunar orbit. Blue Ghost will then touch down on the far side of the Moon to deliver the UAE’s Rashid 2 Rover, Australia’s Fleet Space SPIDER payload, and NASA’s LuSEE-Night radio telescope and User Terminal. Elytra will remain in lunar orbit to provide long-haul communications and enable radio frequency calibration services for LuSEE-Night.

The payloads flying on this international mission will advance the growing lunar ecosystem by searching for lunar resources, enhancing surface mobility on the Moon, improving lunar communications, and uncovering new insights about the origins of the Universe.

Firefly has already begun qualifying and assembling flight hardware for Blue Ghost Mission 2, which will follow Firefly’s first lunar mission that completed the first fully-successful commercial Moon landing on March 2 and completed 14 days of surface operations on March 16, marking the longest commercial operations on the Moon to date.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

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Hardware progress accelerates for #BlueGhost Mission 2! We just fired up our new prop and welding cleanroom at our Spacecraft Facility to complete first welds on a flight panel for Elytra Dark - our lunar orbiter and Blue Ghost transfer vehicle. Meanwhile, at our Rocket Ranch,… pic.twitter.com/VEIdk9x7pr

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) May 21, 2025

Photos of the Day: Blue Ghost in Mini-Brick Form...

Richard T. Par

Just thought I'd end March by sharing these images of the Blue Ghost mini-brick model that I bought from Firefly Aerospace earlier this month!

As mentioned in this entry from my Human Spaceflight Blog, I planned on ordering the Blue Ghost model online if the actual lander successfully touched down on the Moon over four weeks ago. And successfully touched down Blue Ghost did!

Unlike my LEGO® Artemis 1 rocket and Perseverance Mars rover, as well as my Atom Brick New Glenn rocket, Blue Ghost was relatively quick to build—as it 'only' consisted of 196 pieces. Just like my Artemis 1 rocket and the Percy rover, Blue Ghost is now kept dust-free inside an acrylic case that I bought online.

I initially bought a 4.2"x4.2"x4.2" glass case from a local Michaels store...but Blue Ghost barely fits inside this display. So I went to Amazon and purchased a 5"x5"x5" case, and the mini-brick lander fits perfectly in that one! (The 4.2"x4.2"x4.2" case now holds a LEGO Boba Fett figure and Grogu figurine, which you can see in the very last photo of this entry.)

Astrobotic has a mini-brick version of its Griffin lunar lander, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than this December. Just like with Blue Ghost, I intend on waiting to see the outcome of Griffin Mission One before I decide to buy something to commemorate Astrobotic's next Moon flight. Happy Monday!


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par


Richard T. Par

The Third Blue Ghost Lander Will Carry a Wheeled Passenger to the Moon...

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace Selects Blue Origin’s Honeybee Robotics to Provide Rover for Lunar Mission to Gruithuisen Domes (Press Release)

Cedar Park, Texas – Firefly Aerospace and Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, today announced that Honeybee was contracted by Firefly to provide the lunar rover for the company’s recently-awarded NASA task order to explore the Gruithuisen Domes on the Moon’s near side in 2028. Once deployed on the Moon by Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, Honeybee’s rover will carry NASA instruments to investigate the unique composition of the Gruithuisen Domes – a part of the Moon that has never been explored.

“We’re excited to support Firefly’s mission to the Gruithuisen Domes by providing surface mobility, a key capability for lunar permanence,” said Paul Ebertz, senior vice president of In-Space Systems, Blue Origin. “With this rover, Honeybee Robotics builds on its legacy of advanced robotics and hardware designed for exploration throughout our Solar System.”

During mission operations, Firefly’s Elytra Dark transfer vehicle will first deploy the Blue Ghost lander into lunar orbit and then remain on orbit to provide long-haul communications. Blue Ghost will then land in the Gruithuisen Domes, deploy the Honeybee Robotics rover, and support payload operations for approximately 14 days on the lunar surface.

“Firefly is proud to partner with Honeybee Robotics to help us explore the challenging Gruithuisen Domes terrain on our third mission to the Moon,” said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace. “The Firefly team has worked closely with Honeybee on two payloads – the Lunar PlanetVac and LISTER subsurface drill – that were successfully operated on our first Blue Ghost mission to the Moon. Their stellar team, robust rover solution, and flight-proven technologies made Honeybee the obvious choice!”

As part of Firefly’s third mission to the Moon, Honeybee’s rover will help investigate the subsurface composition of the Gruithuisen Gamma Dome carrying elements of NASA’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) suite. Lunar-VISE has multiple instruments, including two cameras attached to Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander that will characterize the landing site and rover traverse as well as an infrared multi-spectral camera system and a spectrometer attached to Honeybee’s rover that will measure gamma ray and neutron emissions.

The rover will travel along the southern edge of the Gruithuisen Gamma Dome and through a boulder field to reach the rim of a recent impact crater. The rover will then traverse back to the lander just before sunset to enable repeat observations of boulder targets at different solar illumination angles.

In total, there are six NASA-sponsored payloads onboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 3 that aim to uncover the composition and fundamental volcanic processes that formed the domes, in addition to other science investigations and technology demonstrations. This mission will follow Firefly’s first mission to the Moon that successfully landed in Mare Crisium and completed 14 days of surface operations in March 2025. Firefly’s second lunar mission is set to launch in 2026 with operations in lunar orbit and on the far side of the Moon.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

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Firefly Aerospace


NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University

Photos of the Day: The Last Images Taken by Blue Ghost Before Its Historic Stint on the Lunar Surface Came to an End...

Firefly Aerospace

NASA Science Continues After Firefly’s First Moon Mission Concludes (News Release)

After landing on the Moon with NASA science and technology demonstrations on March 2, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 concluded its mission on March 16. Analysis of data returned to Earth from the NASA instruments continues, benefiting future lunar missions.

As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander delivered 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Mare Crisium basin on the near side of the Moon. During the mission, Blue Ghost captured several images and videos, including imaging a total solar eclipse and a sunset from the surface of the Moon. The mission lasted for about 14 days, or the equivalent of one lunar day, and multiple hours into the lunar night before coming to an end.

“Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 marks the longest surface duration commercial mission on the Moon to date, collecting extraordinary science data that will benefit humanity for decades to come,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With NASA’s CLPS initiative, American companies are now at the forefront of an emerging lunar economy that lights the way for the agency’s exploration goals on the Moon and beyond.”

All 10 NASA payloads successfully activated, collected data and performed operations on the Moon. Throughout the mission, Blue Ghost transmitted 119 gigabytes of data back to Earth, including 51 gigabytes of science and technology data. In addition, all payloads were afforded additional opportunities to conduct science and gather more data for analysis, including during the eclipse and lunar sunset.

“Operating on the Moon is complex; carrying 10 payloads, more than has ever flown on a CLPS delivery before, makes the mission that much more impressive,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters. “Teams are eagerly analyzing their data, and we are extremely excited for the expected scientific findings that will be gained from this mission.”

Among other achievements, many of the NASA instruments performed first-of-their-kind science and technology demonstrations, including:

-- The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity is now the deepest robotic planetary subsurface thermal probe, drilling up to 3 feet and providing a first-of-its kind demonstration of robotic thermal measurements at varying depths.

-- The Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment acquired and tracked Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals, from satellite networks such as GPS and Galileo, for the first time en route to and on the Moon’s surface. The LuGRE payload’s record-breaking success indicates that GNSS signals could complement other navigation methods and be used to support future Artemis missions. It also acts as a steppingstone to future navigation systems on Mars.

-- The Radiation Tolerant Computer successfully operated in transit through Earth’s Van Allen belts, as well as on the lunar surface into the lunar night, verifying solutions to mitigate radiation effects on computers that could make future missions safer for equipment and more cost effective.

-- The Electrodynamic Dust Shield successfully lifted and removed lunar soil, or regolith, from surfaces using electrodynamic forces, demonstrating a promising solution for dust mitigation on future lunar and interplanetary surface operations.

-- The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder successfully deployed five sensors to study the Moon’s interior by measuring electric and magnetic fields. The instrument allows scientists to characterize the interior of the Moon to depths of up to 700 miles, or more than half the distance to the Moon’s center.

-- The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager captured a series of X-ray images to study the interaction of the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field, providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces surrounding Earth affect the planet.

-- The Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector successfully reflected and returned laser light from two Lunar Laser Ranging Observatories, returning measurements that allowed scientists to precisely measure the Moon’s shape and distance from Earth, expanding our understanding of the Moon’s inner structure.

-- The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies instrument captured about 9,000 images during the spacecraft’s lunar descent and touchdown on the Moon, providing insights into the effects that engine plumes have on the surface. The payload also operated during the lunar sunset and into the lunar night.

-- The Lunar PlanetVac was deployed on the lander’s surface access arm and successfully collected, transferred and sorted lunar soil using pressurized nitrogen gas, demonstrating a low-cost, low-mass solution for future robotic sample collection.

-- The Regolith Adherence Characterization instrument examined how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moon’s environment, which can help test, improve and protect spacecraft, spacesuits and habitats from abrasive lunar dust or regolith.

The data captured will benefit humanity in many ways, providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces may impact Earth. Establishing an improved awareness of the lunar environment ahead of future crewed missions will help plan for long-duration surface operations under Artemis.

To date, five vendors have been awarded 11 lunar deliveries under CLPS and are sending more than 50 instruments to various locations on the Moon, including the lunar South Pole and far side.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Firefly Aerospace


Firefly Aerospace


Firefly Aerospace

Witness the sunset from the Moon - our final gift from #BlueGhost Mission 1! We’re honored to share these breathtaking views of the lunar horizon glow with the world as our mission concludes. The @NASA team is excited to analyze these images further and share more of the… pic.twitter.com/sltowc2ePO

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 18, 2025

Blue Ghost's Historic Mission Has Officially Come to an End...

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace Successfully Completes 14 Days of Surface Operations on the Moon (Press Release)

Cedar Park, Texas – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced that it met 100 percent of its mission objectives for Blue Ghost Mission 1 after performing the first fully-successful commercial Moon landing on March 2, completing more than 14 days of surface operations (346 hours of daylight), and operating just over 5 hours into the lunar night with the final data received around 6:15 pm CDT on March 16. This achievement marks the longest commercial operations on the Moon to date.

“After a flawless Moon landing, the Firefly team immediately moved into surface operations to ensure all 10 NASA payloads could capture as much science as possible during the lunar day,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “We’re incredibly proud of the demonstrations Blue Ghost enabled from tracking GPS signals on the Moon for the first time to robotically drilling and collecting science deeper into the lunar surface than ever before. We want to extend a huge thank you to the NASA CLPS initiative and the White House administration for serving as the bedrock for this Firefly mission. It has been an honor to enable science and technology experiments that support future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.”

Throughout the mission, Blue Ghost transmitted more than 119 GB of data back to Earth, including 51 GB of science and technology data, significantly surpassing Firefly’s mission requirements. Key payload milestones completed on the surface include the following:

-- LuGRE: Integrated on Blue Ghost’s antenna gimbal on the top deck, LuGRE successfully acquired and tracked Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, from satellite networks such as GPS and Galileo, on the way to and on the Moon’s surface for the first time. This achievement suggests that GPS-like signals could be used to navigate future missions to the Moon and beyond.

-- NGLR: Also mounted on Blue Ghost’s antenna gimbal, the Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector (NGLR) successfully reflected laser pulses from Earth-based Lunar Laser Ranging Observatories (LLROs), allowing scientists to precisely measure the Moon’s shape and distance from Earth, expanding our understanding of the Moon’s inner structure.

-- LEXI: Mounted on Blue Ghost’s top deck on another Firefly-developed gimbal, the Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) captured a series of X-ray images to study the interaction of solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field, providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces surrounding Earth affect the planet.

-- LMS: Blue Ghost also deployed four tethered Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) electrodes on the surface, reaching a distance of up to 60 feet from the lander, and deployed a six-foot mast above its top deck to enable the payload team to measure electric and magnetic fields and learn more about the Moon’s composition up to 700 miles, or two-thirds the distance to the Moon’s center.

-- RadPC: Integrated below Blue Ghost’s top deck, RadPC demonstrated a computer that can withstand space radiation while in transit to the Moon, including through the Earth’s Van Allen Belts, and on the Moon’s surface.

-- RAC: Mounted above Blue Ghost’s lower deck, the Regolith Adherence Characterization (RAC) instrument examined how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moon’s environment, allowing the industry to better test, improve and protect spacecraft, spacesuits and habitats from abrasive regolith.

-- SCALPSS: Mounted below Blue Ghost’s lower deck, the Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) instrument captured images during the spacecraft’s lunar descent and touchdown on the Moon, providing insights into the effects that engine plumes have on the surface for future robotics and crewed Moon landings.

-- LISTER: Also mounted below Blue Ghost’s lower deck, the Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER) payload drilled about three feet into the surface to measure the temperature and flow of heat from the Moon’s interior. This pneumatic, gas-powered drill is now the deepest-reaching robotic planetary subsurface probe.

-- Lunar PlanetVac: Deployed on Blue Ghost’s surface access arm, the Lunar PlanetVac successfully collected, transferred and sorted lunar regolith from the Moon using pressurized nitrogen gas, proving to be a low-cost, low-mass solution for future robotic sample collection.

-- EDS: Also deployed on Blue Ghost’s surface access arm, the Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) successfully lifted and removed lunar regolith using electrodynamic forces on the glass and thermal radiator surfaces. These results confirm EDS as a promising solution for dust mitigation on future lunar and interplanetary surface operations.

During surface operations, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander captured high-definition imagery of a total solar eclipse on March 14. This marks the first time in history that a commercial company was actively operating on the Moon and able to observe a solar eclipse where the Earth blocks the Sun and casts a shadow on the lunar surface. Blue Ghost operated the LMS, RAC and SCALPSS payloads during this unique phenomenon to measure changes in the lunar dust and radiation environment.

“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,” said Will Coogan, Blue Ghost Chief Engineer at Firefly Aerospace. “We battle-tested every system on the lander and simulated every mission scenario we could think of to get to this point. But what really sets this team apart is the passion and commitment to each other. Our team may look younger and less experienced than those of many nations and companies that attempted Moon landings before us, but the support we have for one another is what fuels the hard work and dedication to finding every solution that made this mission a success.”

Firefly also captured imagery of the lunar sunset on March 16, providing NASA with data on whether lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow that was hypothesized and observed by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17. Following the sunset, Blue Ghost operated for 5 hours into the lunar night and continued to capture imagery that measures how dust behavior changes after sunset.

Firefly and NASA will host a news conference at 1 p.m. CDT on March 18 from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to discuss the mission operations and science collected on the Moon’s surface. The lunar sunset imagery and findings will also be shared at this time.

Looking ahead, Firefly is ramping up for annual missions to the Moon. The team has begun qualifying and assembling flight hardware for Blue Ghost Mission 2, which will utilize Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander stacked on an Elytra Dark orbital vehicle for operations in lunar orbit and on the far side of the Moon.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

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Firefly Aerospace

#BlueGhost signing off with one final message from the Moon. Thank you for the unforgettable journey. 💙 #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/IsMzy6VyYz

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 16, 2025

Now in Monument Mode. 🫡🇺🇲#BGM1 #BlueGhost #AdLunam pic.twitter.com/G0jqZWlqEo

— Richard Par (@RichTPar) March 17, 2025

Blue Ghost Has Captured a Historic Photo from the Lunar Surface...

Firefly Aerospace

Just thought I'd share these three amazing images that Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander took of an eclipse that occurred late last night!

In the photo above, which was taken around 3:30 a.m. CDT (1:30 a.m. PDT), the Sun is about to emerge from behind the Earth during a lunar eclipse that was seen by much of the world yesterday. From Blue Ghost's vantage point at Mare Crisium, however, this was a beautiful solar eclipse in which the lander was able to capture the "diamond ring" effect of the celestial phenomena from the Moon's surface!

In the picture directly below, you can see the eclipse being reflected on Blue Ghost's upper solar panel at 12:30 a.m. CDT (10:30 p.m. PDT on Thursday night). And in the very last image at the bottom of this entry, Blue Ghost and its surroundings are completely enveloped in a reddish hue as the lunar eclipse reached its 'Blood Moon' phase around 2:30 a.m. CDT (12:30 a.m. PDT) today! (If you look closely at this photo, Mercury and Venus are visible just above the eclipse.)

And of course, Firefly Aerospace tweeted a time-lapse video of the eclipse (at the bottom of this entry) as it graced the lunar sky above Blue Ghost's landing site.

Such a historic moment... So sad that Blue Ghost's uber-successful mission will be coming to an end in two days' time.


Firefly Aerospace


Firefly Aerospace

Blue Ghost turns red! Our lander downlinked more imagery from the Moon captured around 2:30 am CDT during the totality of the solar eclipse last night. These images - rapidly captured by our top deck camera with different exposure settings - were stitched together in a quick… pic.twitter.com/BjKPXXhMLx

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 14, 2025

Photos of the Day: Orbital Images of Blue Ghost on the Moon!

NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University

Just thought I'd share these images that NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter recently took of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander on the Moon's surface!

Blue Ghost successfully touched down near the Mons Latreille region at Mare Crisium on March 2...and continues to hum along as it carries out 10 science experiments for NASA under its Artemis and Commercial Lunar Payload Services programs.

Assuming that everything continues to proceed as planned, Blue Ghost Mission 1 will last till Sunday, March 16.


NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University


NASA / GSFC / Arizona State University

#BlueGhost X-band antenna has deployed! This will allow us to more rapidly downlink high-definition imagery and videos and transmit payload science data back to Earth. Stay tuned for more! #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/Vi8fumKI4X

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 2, 2025

#BlueGhost has been busy since parking on the Moon! Just in the last two days, the data we've downlinked jumped from 27 GB to 57 GB as we continue @NASA payload operations. This includes deploying Lunar PlanetVac and sampling lunar regolith, deploying the Electrodynamic Dust… pic.twitter.com/b2kcnCRttz

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 4, 2025

The Latest Update on Blue Ghost...

NASA / Dave Ryan

NASA Successfully Acquires GPS Signals on Moon (News Release)

NASA and the Italian Space Agency made history on March 3, when the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) became the first technology demonstration to acquire and track Earth-based navigation signals on the Moon’s surface.

The LuGRE payload’s success in lunar orbit and on the surface indicates that signals from the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) can be received and tracked at the Moon. These results mean that NASA’s Artemis missions, or other exploration missions, could benefit from these signals to accurately and autonomously determine their position, velocity and time. This represents a steppingstone to advanced navigation systems and services for the Moon and Mars.

“On Earth we can use GNSS signals to navigate in everything from smartphones to airplanes,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program. “Now, LuGRE shows us that we can successfully acquire and track GNSS signals at the Moon. This is a very exciting discovery for lunar navigation, and we hope to leverage this capability for future missions.”

The road to the historic milestone began on March 2 when Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander touched down on the Moon and delivered LuGRE, one of 10 NASA payloads intended to advance lunar science. Soon after landing, LuGRE payload operators at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, began conducting their first science operation on the lunar surface.

With the receiver data flowing in, anticipation mounted. Could a Moon-based mission acquire and track signals from two GNSS constellations, GPS and Galileo, and use those signals for navigation on the lunar surface?

Then, at 2 a.m. EST on March 3, it was official: LuGRE acquired and tracked signals on the lunar surface for the first time ever and achieved a navigation fix — approximately 225,000 miles away from Earth.

Now that Blue Ghost is on the Moon, the mission will operate for 14 days providing NASA and the Italian Space Agency the opportunity to collect data in a near-continuous mode, leading to additional GNSS milestones. In addition to this record-setting achievement, LuGRE is the first Italian Space Agency-developed hardware on the Moon, a milestone for the organization.

The LuGRE payload also broke GNSS records on its journey to the Moon. On January 21, LuGRE surpassed the highest altitude GNSS signal acquisition ever recorded at 209,900 miles from Earth, a record formerly held by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. Its altitude record continued to climb as LuGRE reached lunar orbit on February 20 — 243,000 miles from Earth.

These achievements mean that missions in cislunar space, the area of space between Earth and the Moon, could also rely on GNSS signals for navigation fixes.

Traditionally, NASA engineers track spacecraft by using a combination of measurements, including onboard sensors and signals from Earth-based tracking stations. The LuGRE payload demonstrates that using GNSS signals for navigation can reduce reliance on human operators because these signals can be picked up and used autonomously by the spacecraft, even as far away as the Moon.

The LuGRE payload is a collaborative effort between NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and the Italian Space Agency. Funding and oversight for the LuGRE payload comes from NASA’s SCaN Program office. It was chosen by NASA as one of 10 funded research and technology demonstrations for delivery to the lunar surface by Firefly Aerospace Inc., a flight under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Firefly Aerospace


Firefly Aerospace

Watch Firefly land on the Moon! After identifying surface hazards and selecting a safe landing site, #BlueGhost landed directly over the target in Mare Crisium. A historic moment on March 2 we'll never forget. We have Moon dust on our boots! #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/02DQJzn0hL

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 4, 2025

BLUE GHOST HAS SAFELY TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LUNAR SURFACE!

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace Becomes First Commercial Company to Successfully Land on the Moon (Press Release)

Cedar Park, Texas – Firefly Aerospace, the leader in end-to-end responsive space services, today announced that its Blue Ghost lunar lander softly touched down on the Moon’s surface in an upright, stable configuration on the company’s first attempt. As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, sets the tone for the future of exploration across cislunar space as the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful soft-landing on the Moon.

“Firefly is literally and figuratively over the Moon,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Our Blue Ghost lunar lander now has a permanent home on the lunar surface with 10 NASA payloads and a plaque with every Firefly employee’s name. This bold, unstoppable team has proven we’re well equipped to deliver reliable, affordable access to the Moon, and we won’t stop there. With annual lunar missions, Firefly is paving the way for a lasting lunar presence that will help unlock access to the rest of the Solar System for our nation, our partners and the world.”

Carrying 10 NASA instruments, Blue Ghost completed a precision landing in Mare Crisium at 2:34 a.m. CST on March 2 and touched down within its 100-meter landing target next to a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille. Blue Ghost’s shock-absorbing legs stabilized the lander as it touched down and inertial readings confirmed that the lander is upright in a stable configuration. Following touchdown, Firefly is successfully commanding and communicating with the lander from its Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas.

Blue Ghost will now begin its surface operations and support several NASA science and technology demonstrations over the next 14 days – equivalent to a full lunar day. The surface operations include lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, X-ray imaging and dust mitigation experiments. On March 14, Firefly expects to capture high-definition imagery of a total eclipse when the Earth blocks the Sun above the Moon’s horizon.

On March 16, Blue Ghost will then capture the lunar sunset, providing data on how lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow first documented by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17. Following the sunset, Blue Ghost will operate several hours into the lunar night and continue to capture imagery that observes how levitating dust behavior changes after the sunset.

“With the hardest part behind us, Firefly looks forward to completing more than 14 days of surface operations, again raising the bar for commercial cislunar capabilities,” said Shea Ferring, Chief Technology Officer at Firefly Aerospace. “Just through transit to the Moon, Firefly’s mission has already delivered the most science data to date for the NASA CLPS initiative. CLPS has played a key role in Firefly’s evolution from a rocket company to a provider of launch, lunar and on-orbit services from LEO to cislunar and beyond. We want to thank NASA for entrusting in the Firefly team, and we look forward to delivering even more science data that supports future human missions to the Moon and Mars.”

Throughout its 45-day journey to the Moon, Blue Ghost traveled more than 2.8 million miles, downlinked more than 27 GB of data, and supported several payload science operations. This included signal tracking from the Global Navigation Satellite System at a record-breaking distance with the LuGRE payload, radiation tolerant computing through the Van Allen Belts with the RadPC payload, and measurements of magnetic field changes with the LMS payload.

Firefly will continue to provide regular updates on the Blue Ghost Mission 1 webpage through the completion of the mission. NASA’s Artemis blog will share additional details on payload operations.

Source: Firefly Aerospace

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Firefly Aerospace


Firefly Aerospace

Blue Ghost and the #PyramidOnTheMoon have arrived at the lunar surface!

This is the second mission (behind Intuitive Machines' IM-1 over a year ago) to put my name and message on the Moon. Much thanks to @Firefly_Space and @goLifeShip for this amazing opportunity!#AdLunam pic.twitter.com/opoDv4gC1i

— Rich Par (@AstroPnoy) March 2, 2025

Firefly Looks Ahead to the March 2 Lunar Touchdown of its Robotic Lander...

Firefly Aerospace

Blue Ghost Prepares for Landing, NASA Instrument Breaks Record (News Release)

Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 is nearly one week away from its Moon landing on Sunday, March 2, after launching on January 15. In preparation for landing, Blue Ghost will complete its final lunar orbit maneuver scheduled for Monday, February 24. This maneuver will insert Blue Ghost into a near-circular low lunar orbit, bringing the lander closer to the lunar surface.

Then about one hour before touchdown, Blue Ghost will complete its Descent Orbit Insertion burn, which will initiate the lander’s descent trajectory towards its landing site, Mare Crisium, on the near side of the Moon.

Live coverage of the landing, jointly hosted by NASA and Firefly, will air on NASA+ starting at 2:30 a.m. EST, approximately 75 minutes before Blue Ghost touches down on the Moon’s surface. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. The broadcast will also stream on Firefly’s YouTube channel.

Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates as the descent milestones occur.

All 10 NASA instruments on this flight are currently healthy and ready to operate on the lunar surface. The payloads that are able to power on and operate have also collected some noteworthy data during lunar transit. Two highlights include:

The Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) acquired and tracked Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals for the first time in lunar orbit – a new record! This achievement, peaking at 246,000 miles, suggests that Earth-based GNSS constellations can be used for navigation in transit to, around, and potentially on the Moon. It also demonstrates the power of using multiple GNSS constellations together, such as GPS and Galileo, to perform navigation.

After lunar landing, LuGRE will operate for 14 days and attempt to break another record – first reception of GNSS signals on the lunar surface.

The Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager, or LEXI, telescope was successfully turned on shortly after launch on January 15. The instrument has operated for several hours every day conducting checkouts and initial commissioning, operating for a total of more than 50 hours so far in preparation for collecting images from the lunar surface.

Follow along on NASA’s Artemis Blog as Blue Ghost Mission 1 continues its journey to the Moon. Additional mission updates can also be found on Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 page.

Source: NASA.Gov

Looking Ahead to Blue Ghost's Big Day on March 2...

Firefly Aerospace

NASA Sets Coverage of Firefly’s First Robotic Commercial Moon Landing (News Release - February 14)

With a suite of NASA science and technology on board, Firefly Aerospace is targeting no earlier than 3:45 a.m. EST on Sunday, March 2, to land the Blue Ghost lunar lander on the Moon. Blue Ghost is slated to touch down near Mare Crisium, a plain in the northeast quadrant on the near side of the Moon, as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign to establish a long-term lunar presence.

Live coverage of the landing, jointly hosted by NASA and Firefly, will air on NASA+ starting at 2:30 a.m. EST, approximately 75 minutes before touchdown on the Moon’s surface. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. The broadcast will also stream on Firefly’s YouTube channel.

Landing coverage will include live streaming and blog updates as the descent milestones occur.

Accredited media interested in attending the in-person landing event hosted by Firefly in the Austin, Texas, area may request media credentials through this form by Monday, February 24.

Following the landing, NASA and Firefly will host a news conference to discuss the mission and science opportunities that lie ahead as they begin lunar surface operations. The time of the briefing will be shared after touchdown.

Blue Ghost launched January 15, at 1:11 a.m. EST on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander is carrying a suite of 10 NASA scientific investigations and technology demonstrations, which will provide insights into the Moon’s environment and test technologies to support future astronauts landing safely on the lunar surface, as well as Mars.

NASA continues to work with multiple American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the agency’s CLPS initiative. This pool of companies may bid on contracts for end-to-end lunar delivery services, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth, and landing on the surface of the Moon. NASA’s CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative maximum value of $2.6 billion through 2028.

In February 2021, the agency awarded Firefly this delivery of 10 NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon using its American-designed and -manufactured lunar lander for approximately $93.3 million (modified to $101.5 million).

Through the Artemis campaign, commercial robotic deliveries will perform science experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities on and around the Moon to help NASA explore in advance of Artemis Generation astronaut missions to the lunar surface, and ultimately crewed missions to Mars.

Source: NASA.Gov

Firefly's Robotic Lander Has Arrived at the Moon!

Firefly Aerospace

Blue Ghost Remains on Track, Lunar Orbit Insertion Burn Complete (News Release)

After about a month in transit to the Moon, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander successfully completed a four-minute lunar orbit insertion burn on Thursday – the longest and most challenging burn conducted to date by the lander’s main engine and reaction control system thrusters.

Now that the lander is in lunar trajectory, over the next 16 days, additional maneuvers will take the lander from an elliptical orbit to a circular orbit around the Moon. Blue Ghost Mission 1 is targeted to land on Sunday, March 2, at 3:45 a.m. EST. During the lunar orbit insertion burn, Blue Ghost captured a picture of the Moon’s South Pole (below).

NASA instrument and Firefly mission updates will continue to be shared here on NASA’s Artemis Blog and Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 page.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Firefly Aerospace

I love you to the Moon, but not back - I'm staying there," 💙 Blue Ghost. We captured our first shots of the Moon following a successful Lunar Orbit Insertion. The lander will soon begin to circularize its orbit in preparation for landing on March 2. #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/2FclZ1hnvb

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) February 14, 2025

Blue Ghost Is Officially on its Way to the Moon!

Ansys STK / LSAS Tec

More NASA Science Received During Earth Orbit, Firefly Begins Lunar Transit Phase (News Release)

After a successful Trans-Lunar Injection burn on Saturday, February 8, Firefly’s spacecraft carrying NASA science and tech to the Moon has departed Earth’s orbit and begun its four-day transit to the Moon’s orbit. Blue Ghost will then spend approximately 16 days in lunar orbit before beginning its descent operations.

Since launching more than three weeks ago, Blue Ghost has performed dozens of health tests generating 13 gigabytes of data. All 10 NASA payloads onboard are currently healthy and ready for surface operations on the Moon.

NASA’s Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC), developed by Montana State University, successfully operated while passing through the Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts, providing insight on how to mitigate the effects of radiation on computers. This helps improve our understanding of the radiation environment that future astronauts may experience on Artemis missions.

During an on-orbit health check, NASA’s Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS), developed by the Southwest Research Institute, accurately detected a change in magnetic fields. This is a positive sign that LMS will be able to measure the Moon’s magnetic and electrical fields, shedding light on the Moon’s interior temperature and composition on the lunar surface.

Also during a health check, Firefly and NASA teams captured data and an interior image of the sample container from NASA’s Lunar PlanetVac (LPV), indicating that the payload is operational in advance of surface operations on the Moon. The LPV payload is a technology demonstration that is designed to efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil from the surface to other science instruments or sample return containers without reliance on gravity.

Follow along on NASA’s Artemis blog as Blue Ghost Mission 1, carrying the agency’s science and technology, continues its journey to the Moon. Additional mission updates can also be found on Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 page.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Firefly Aerospace

The Latest Update on Firefly's Moon Lander...

NASA

NASA Tech Instrument Captures Test Images During Blue Ghost Lunar Transit (News Release)

Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 reached day 15 of its 45-day transit to the Moon. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) 1.1 instrument, designed by researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, to capture images during the spacecraft’s lunar descent and touchdown, successfully received high-resolution test images from all six of its cameras.

Four cameras have a short focal length and aim to capture images of the interaction between Blue Ghost’s rocket plumes and foot pads with the Moon’s surface. Two of the cameras have a long focal length and aim to capture images of the surface before the rocket plume interaction. These images will help the SCALPSS team observe the effects before and after landing.

Some images were captured during the cameras’ test run.

As trips to the Moon increase and the number of science and tech instruments touching down in proximity to one another grows, researchers need to accurately predict the effects of landings. These test images demonstrate that the hardware is functioning well and capable of collecting images of plume-surface interactions upon lunar touchdown.

Follow along on NASA’s Artemis blog as Blue Ghost Mission 1, carrying the agency’s science and technology, continues its journey to the Moon. Additional mission updates can also be found on Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 page.

Source: NASA.Gov

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NASA

The Latest Update on the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander...

Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Gets First Glimpse of Moon, NASA Instrument Checkouts Continue (News Release)

NASA’s science and technology instruments aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 are a step closer to the Moon. After almost two weeks in Earth orbit, Firefly announced Thursday that Blue Ghost successfully completed its second engine burn, placing the lander in the correct position to leave Earth’s orbit and continue its journey to the Moon. At the same time, the spacecraft got its first glimpse of the Moon from Earth’s orbit.

Routine assessments while Blue Ghost is in transit show that all NASA payloads continue to be healthy. Firefly and NASA’s payload teams will continue to perform payload health checkouts and operations before reaching the Moon, including calibrating NASA’s Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI), continued transit operations of the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE), and analysis of radiation data collected from the Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) technology demonstration.

NASA’s Artemis blog will continue to provide updates on this lunar delivery. Additional mission updates can also be found on Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 page.

Source: NASA.Gov

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Firefly Aerospace

The Latest Update on Firefly's Moon Lander...

Ansys STK / LSAS Tec

Blue Ghost Conducts First Burn, Science Operations, Captures Eclipse (News Release)

Firefly’s Blue Ghost continues its journey to the Moon carrying 10 NASA science and technology instruments. Four days into the mission, the lunar lander completed its first main engine burn. This milestone is the first of several maneuvers that will position the lander in a trajectory towards the Moon.

After 25 days orbiting Earth, Blue Ghost will continue its four-day journey to lunar orbit and orbit the Moon for 16 days before it begins descent operations to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s Artemis campaign.

Jointly developed by NASA and the Italian Space Agency, the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) technology demonstration acquired Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, and calculated a navigation fix at nearly 52 Earth radii: more than 205,674 miles (331,000 kilometers) from Earth’s surface. This achievement suggests that Earth-based GNSS constellations can be used for navigation at nearly 90% of the distance to the Moon, an Earth-Moon signal distance record. It also demonstrates the power of using multiple GNSS constellations together, such as GPS and Galileo, to perform navigation.

Throughout its journey, LuGRE will continue expanding our knowledge of Earth-based navigation systems in space as it acquires and tracks signals on its way to the Moon, during lunar orbit, and for up to two weeks on the lunar surface.

During this Earth transit phase, the Firefly mission team has continued to ensure that the spacecraft remains healthy. The most recent visuals from space include footage of Earth eclipsing the Sun (below).

As the 45–day transit to the Moon continues, follow NASA’s Artemis blog for agency science and tech updates aboard Blue Ghost Mission 1, and Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 page for additional operational updates.

Source: NASA.Gov

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#GhostRiders checking in from Earth Orbit. Witness Earth eclipsing the Sun from Blue Ghost's top deck - another incredible postcard moment on our trip to the Moon! #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/Twgob4ZUv2

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) January 21, 2025