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As part of NASA’s ‘Commercial Lunar Payload Services’ (CLPS) initiative, Firefly Aerospace has become the first private company to successfully land a robotic probe on the moon with the ‘Blue Ghost’ mission. This mission carried important scientific instruments, including the LISTER heat flow experiment from the German Aerospace Center.
Successful landing of the Blue Ghost Mission
On the morning of March 2nd Central European Time, the ‘Blue Ghost’ mission landed automatically in Mare Crisium on the far side of the moon. Firefly Aerospace became the first private company to successfully land a robotic probe on the moon. This achievement is part of NASA’s CLPS initiative, which aims to generate reliable scientific data from the lunar surface. The probe carried ten scientific and technical instruments that will carry out specific experiments over a period of about two weeks.
Important scientific findings through LISTER
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is working as part of LISTER, an experiment to measure the heat flow from the lunar interior. The measurements are carried out using a depth probe that penetrates up to three meters deep into the moon. The data collected is intended to contribute to knowledge about the thermal evolution and geological history of the moon. This follows on from the HP3 experiment that was carried out in a similar way on Mars.
The moon as a target for future planetary research
Professor Heike Rauer from the DLR Institute of Planetary Research describes the moon as an easily accessible destination for space travel. Compared to Earth, the Moon’s geological status is almost inactive, making it an ideal location for studying early solar system evolutions. Investigations on the lunar surface can address questions that remained unanswered after the Apollo missions.
The path to the return of humanity
The mission’s launch on January 15 marked the start of a roughly 45-day journey to the moon aimed at testing all subsystems. Blue Ghost serves as a precursor to humanity’s planned return as part of NASA’s Artemis program. These missions form the basis for a permanent human presence on the moon.
Firefly Aerospace is an innovative space company specializing in the development of cost-effective launch vehicles and space probes. Through partnerships with prominent institutions such as NASA, the company actively contributes to promoting space research and lunar exploration. The goal is to create new possibilities for scientific experiments and humanity.
First lunar images of a solar eclipse
Firefly’s Blue Ghost is preparing to capture high-resolution images of a total solar eclipse from the Moon on March 14. This is made possible by Blue Ghost as the Earth blocks the Sun over the Moon. Two days later, on March 16, there will be a chance to see the sunset on the Moon and collect valuable data about lunar dust.
Total solar eclipse from the moon
On March 14, Firefly’s Blue Ghost will be able to capture high-resolution images of a solar eclipse as the Earth passes between the sun and moon. For observers on Earth where there is a full moon, this will be a total lunar eclipse. This visually impressive event promises new insights into the course of such cosmic events and the conditions on the moon.
Examination of lunar dust
Two days after the solar eclipse, on March 16, Blue Ghost plans to watch the sunset on the moon. The goal is to understand how the fine, often electrostatically charged moon dust, also called regolith, floats in the backlight. The challenges this dust poses to technical equipment and astronauts are known but not yet fully understood. Therefore, Blue Ghost will also take samples of the regolith for on-site analysis.
The mission in Mare Crisium
Blue Ghost will launch another mission under lunar night conditions after sunset in Mare Crisium, also known as the ‘Sea of Danger’. Important data is collected before the devices can no longer function due to the extreme cold of minus 160 degrees Celsius. This mission will be crucial for understanding lunar nights and their challenges.
Participation in upcoming lunar mission
The next landing of a private lunar probe from Intuitive Machines is expected on March 6th. The German Aerospace Center (DLR), together with the Free University of Berlin, is taking part with an innovative radiometer that measures thermal radiation without contact. This cooperation underlines the increasing importance of interdisciplinary partnerships in space travel.
Firefly Aerospace is known as an innovative space company specializing in cost-effective, flexible and reliable solutions for space exploration. Through its developments and missions, such as those of the Blue Ghost, Firefly contributes significantly to deepening our understanding of the moon and other celestial bodies.
