After a month-long journey, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully entered orbit around the Moon.
After nearly a month traveling through space, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander successfully completed a crucial four-minute lunar orbit insertion burn on February 13. This maneuver, the longest and most complex burn the lander has performed so far, relied on its main engine and reaction control thrusters to adjust its course.
Now in lunar orbit, Blue Ghost will spend the next 16 days gradually shifting from an elliptical path to a circular orbit around the Moon. The mission remains on track for a targeted landing on Sunday, March 2, at 3:45 a.m. EST. During the insertion burn, the lander also captured an image of the Moon’s South Pole, offering a glimpse of its future landing site.
Blue Ghost is Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander, designed to deliver scientific payloads and commercial cargo to the Moon. Named after a rare, bioluminescent firefly species, the lander is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, supporting the Artemis program and future lunar exploration.
Mission 1, Blue Ghost’s first mission, aims to land near the Moon’s South Pole and deploy a variety of instruments for NASA and private partners. The lander features advanced propulsion systems, precision navigation, and thermal control to operate in the harsh lunar environment. Its success could pave the way for future missions focused on resource utilization, technology demonstration, and deep-space exploration.
