Commercial Lander Blue Ghost Successfully Lands on the Moon

merritt island - Firefly Aerospace's commercial Blue Ghost lander successfully landed on the moon, marking a significant milestone in commercial space exploration.

Blue Ghost Lands on the Moon

The commercial Blue Ghost lander, developed by Firefly Aerospace from Texas, landed on the moon on Sunday. The landing took place near an old volcanic opening on Mare Crisium, a large basin on the northeastern part of the moon's near side. The Blue Ghost touched down at 09:35 (Dutch time).

Flight controllers at Firefly's headquarters in Austin closely monitored the landing, confirming the spacecraft's successful entry into the moon's gravity. Chief engineer Will Coogan announced, 'We are on the moon.'

The Blue Ghost was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida six weeks ago and traveled a distance of 383,000 kilometers before landing. The lander is set to conduct a two-week research mission on the moon.

Previously, moon landings were primarily undertaken by government-funded spacecraft. However, there is a growing interest from commercial entities in lunar exploration. Last year, the American company Intuitive Machines achieved a successful moon landing with its lander, paving the way for more commercial ventures.