Firefly Aerospace has successfully landed its uncrewed Blue Ghost spacecraft on the moon, marking the company’s first lunar landing. This makes Firefly the second private company to land on the Moon, following Intuitive Machines’ less successful attempt last year.
Blue Ghost landed near Mare Crisium, a volcanic region on the moon, as part of a two-week research mission. The spacecraft, powered by three solar panels, will conduct experiments on lunar soil and subsurface temperatures. The Texas-based company declared the mission a “fully successful” soft landing, distinguishing itself from Intuitive Machines, whose Odysseus lander reached the Moon last year but suffered technical issues.
The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims at fostering private companies in lunar exploration. The achievement comes amid growing competition among private companies and nations to explore the moon, as the U.S. and China race to send astronauts there in the coming years.
