Private US Spacecraft Lands on Moon

A US private spacecraft has successfully landed on the moon, marking a major milestone in commercial space exploration.

The uncrewed lunar lander, Blue Ghost, developed by Firefly Aerospace, touched down near an ancient volcanic vent in Mare Crisium, a vast basin on the moon’s Earth-facing side.

Mission Control confirmed the historic achievement, reporting that the lander was stable upon arrival.

This marks the second commercial moon landing in history, further advancing NASA’s efforts to collaborate with private industry under the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

Launched in mid-January from Florida, Blue Ghost carried 10 NASA experiments designed to study the lunar surface. 

NASA invested $101 million for the payload delivery and an additional $44 million for scientific research.

The compact, four-legged lander is equipped with a vacuum to collect lunar soil samples and a drill capable of measuring subsurface temperatures up to 10 feet (3 meters) below ground.

The scientific instruments are expected to operate for two weeks before lunar nighttime renders the lander inactive.

Blue Ghost has already transmitted breathtaking images of Earth and the moon during its journey. 

It is also set to capture high-definition footage of a total eclipse on March 14, when Earth will obscure the sun from the moon’s horizon.

On March 16, the lander will record a lunar sunset to study how dust levitates above the surface under solar influence.

This successful mission makes Firefly Aerospace the second private company to achieve a soft landing on the moon, following Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander last year.

Unlike its predecessor, which tipped over upon landing, Blue Ghost achieved a stable touchdown.