Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully touched down on the Moon. The spacecraft, carrying 10 scientific and technological experiments, landed in Mare Crisium, a vast lunar plain on the Moon’s near side. Shortly after landing, it captured its first image from the surface.
Firefly Aerospace employees at a watch party in Cedar Park, Texas, cheered in triumph as Blue Ghost’s touchdown was confirmed following moments of intense anticipation. The company shared the first image on X, writing, “Would you look at that view! Blue Ghost captured its first image on the Moon that embodies everything this bold, unstoppable Firefly team has worked so hard for over the last 3+ years. And we’re just getting started!”
Would you look at that view! #BlueGhost captured its first image on the Moon that embodies everything this bold, unstoppable Firefly team has worked so hard for over the last 3+ years. And we’re just getting started! Find out what’s next for #BGM1 https://t.co/oEJhJu7KHx pic.twitter.com/NsdljgQOpu
— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 2, 2025
Firefly Vice President of Engineering Brigette Oaks told CNN, “The navigation system did such a phenomenal job finding what looks like a relatively flat surface for us to land on.”
Blue Ghost is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, designed to advance lunar research and establish a sustainable Moon economy. With this successful mission, Firefly Aerospace becomes the second private company to achieve a soft lunar landing, following Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander last year.
Until now, only five nations – India, the Soviet Union, the US, China and Japan – had accomplished soft landings on the Moon.
Launched on January 15, Blue Ghost spent about 45 days travelling to the Moon, conducting system health checks and initiating preliminary scientific operations before landing on Sunday. The lander will operate for a full lunar day (14 Earth days), collecting data on lunar surface conditions, space weather interactions, and the behaviour of lunar dust.
On March 14, Blue Ghost will capture high-definition images of a total lunar eclipse, when Earth completely blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon.
Two days later, on March 16, it will record the lunar sunset, studying how solar activity causes lunar dust to levitate – an effect first observed by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan.
Standing 2 metres tall and 3.5 meters wide, Blue Ghost has shock-absorbing feet and a broad footprint. During its final descent, the lander used vision-based navigation to assess the terrain, avoiding hazards like craters and slopes before selecting a safe landing spot. Its Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters ensured a controlled and smooth touchdown.
NASA initially contracted Firefly for $93 million, but the final cost rose to $101 million due to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and modifications to the mission profile.
One key upgrade was an enhancement to help Blue Ghost withstand the extreme cold of lunar nightfall, where temperatures plummet to -130 degree C. While most landers stop operations after sunset, Blue Ghost aims to push beyond the typical 14-day mission duration.
Firefly Aerospace is set to discuss its next steps in a press conference with NASA at 4:30 am.