American firm Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost makes history as first private spacecraft to land on the moon
By isabelle // 2025-03-03
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  • Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander achieved the first fully successful commercial lunar landing, touching down near Mons Latreille on the Moon’s near side.
  • The mission by the American company, part of NASA’s CLPS program, carries 10 scientific instruments to study the Moon’s surface and prepare for future crewed Artemis missions.
  • Blue Ghost launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, executed a flawless descent, and landed upright, marking a historic milestone for private space exploration.
  • The mission underscores the growing role of private companies in lunar exploration, with Firefly becoming the second private firm to achieve a soft Moon landing.
  • The success highlights the competitive global space race, with over 100 lunar missions planned before 2030, driven by the Moon’s potential for resources and scientific discovery.
In a landmark achievement for private space exploration, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander successfully touched down on the Moon early Sunday morning, marking the first fully successful commercial lunar landing in history. The Austin-based company confirmed the milestone at 3:36 a.m. ET, with the 6.6-foot-tall lander descending near an ancient volcanic feature called Mons Latreille on the Moon’s near side. This historic feat not only underscores American innovation but also paves the way for future lunar and Martian exploration. The Blue Ghost mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, carried 10 scientific instruments designed to study the Moon’s surface, subsurface, and thermal properties. Over the next two weeks, the lander will conduct experiments, including analyzing lunar dust and testing navigation technologies, to prepare for future crewed missions under NASA’s Artemis program.

A journey of precision and innovation

The Blue Ghost lander began its journey earlier this year, launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After spending 45 days in transit, the spacecraft executed a flawless descent, slowing from nearly 4,000 miles per hour to just 2.2 miles per hour before touchdown. Firefly’s team ran dozens of simulations to prepare for the mission, including scenarios for meteor strikes and other anomalies. “Our team, of course, did the logical thing and looked at all the missions before us, but our design was unique to Firefly,” said CEO Jason Kim. “It’s a successful design, and you look at past designs that were successful—they look very similar: short and squatty.” The mission’s success is a testament to the growing capabilities of private companies in space exploration. Firefly becomes the second private firm to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, following Houston-based Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander in 2023. However, unlike Odysseus, which tipped over on landing, Blue Ghost touched down upright and stable, earning Firefly the distinction of a “fully successful” landing.

A new era of lunar exploration

The Blue Ghost mission is part of a broader push to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon. NASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface by the end of the decade, with private companies like Firefly playing a critical role in scouting and preparing the way. “The Moon is an incredible place for science,” said Dr. Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “We don’t want to go to the same place every single time because we want to learn more and more about the Moon.” Firefly’s success also highlights the competitive nature of the modern space race, with nations and companies worldwide vying for a foothold on the lunar surface. So far, only five nations — the U.S., China, India, Japan, and the former Soviet Union—have achieved soft landings on the Moon. However, more than 100 lunar missions are planned before 2030, driven by the Moon’s potential as a source of resources like water ice and rare minerals.

A bright future for American space exploration

The Blue Ghost mission is a shining example of American ingenuity and determination. Firefly’s employees celebrated the historic landing with “Make Space Great Again” hats, a nod to the nation’s renewed focus on space exploration. As Firefly CEO Jason Kim noted, “Anything is possible. We could take this technology and go to Mars.” With plans already underway for a second mission to the Moon’s far side, Firefly is poised to continue leading the charge in commercial space exploration. As the U.S. prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon and beyond, missions like Blue Ghost remind us that the spirit of exploration is alive and well—and that the stars are within reach. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com CNN.com Reuters.com
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