Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 begins transit to the Moon

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 begins transit to the Moon
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 15, 2025

Firefly Aerospace announced the successful launch of its Blue Ghost lunar lander on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking the beginning of its 60-day mission. Following a 45-day transit to the Moon, the mission aims to deliver 10 instruments for NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. A target landing date of March 2, 2025, has been set.

Dubbed Ghost Riders in the Sky, Blue Ghost Mission 1 launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:11 a.m. EST on January 15, 2025. The lander separated from the Falcon 9 at 2:17 a.m. EST, entered a highly elliptical Earth orbit, and established contact with Firefly's Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas, by 2:26 a.m. EST. Initial commissioning, including health checks and subsystem verifications, was completed by 5:30 a.m. EST.

"On behalf of Firefly, we want to thank SpaceX for a spot-on deployment in our target orbit," said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. "The mission is now in the hands of the unstoppable Firefly team. After all the testing conducted and mission simulations completed, we're now fully focused on execution as we look to complete our on-orbit operations, softly touch down on the lunar surface, and pave the way for humanity's return to the Moon."

The spacecraft's timeline includes 25 days in Earth orbit, four days in transit to the Moon, and 16 days in lunar orbit. During this period, the team will perform detailed subsystem health checks, calibrate the propulsion system for critical maneuvers, and initiate payload science operations. Among the payloads are LuGRE, which will extend Global Navigation Satellite System capabilities to the lunar surface, and RadPC, a radiation-hardened computer that will undergo testing in orbit.

Upon reaching its destination at Mare Crisium, Blue Ghost will conduct 14 Earth days of surface operations. Key activities include lunar subsurface drilling, sample collection, X-ray imaging, and dust mitigation experiments. Before the lunar night begins, the lander will capture high-definition images of a total solar eclipse from the Moon's vantage point, documenting the Earth's shadow on the lunar surface. It will also record data on how lunar regolith responds to solar exposure during dusk.

"Towards the end of Blue Ghost Mission 1, we expect to capture a phenomenon documented by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17 where he observed a horizon glow as the lunar dust levitated on the surface," said Kim. "As a tribute to the last Apollo Astronaut to walk on the Moon, we're honored to have the opportunity to watch this incredible sight in high definition."

Blue Ghost Mission 1 is one of four CLPS task orders awarded to Firefly by NASA as part of the Artemis program, which seeks to establish a sustainable lunar presence and pave the way for Mars exploration.