Another American company, Firefly Aerospace, based in Texas, is heading to the moon. The company’s “Blue Ghost” cargo lander was launched from Florida early Wednesday morning aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket for a 45-day journey. This marks Firefly’s first moon mission as it aims to enter the emerging market for lunar services led by NASA.
Firefly CEO Jason Kim expressed the company’s focus on successful execution following the launch, emphasizing the completion of on-orbit operations, a soft landing on the lunar surface, and paving the way for humanity’s return to the Moon. Firefly, known for its Alpha rockets launching satellites into orbit, has diversified into developing lunar landers and space tugs in recent years.
The Blue Ghost lander, standing nearly 7 feet tall and named after a rare U.S. firefly species, is carrying 10 government and commercial payloads under a $101 million NASA contract. This mission, dubbed “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” is Firefly’s third under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which supports the Artemis crew program by delivering science projects and cargo to the moon.
Firefly has outlined 17 milestones for the Blue Ghost mission, with landing being one of the final objectives. The company has confirmed the completion of five milestones so far, including launch stages and spacecraft testing in orbit. The mission is scheduled to land on March 2 in the lunar basin Mare Crisium on the near side of the moon, with plans to operate the lander for a full lunar day and into the lunar night.
In a unique occurrence, SpaceX’s rocket carried two lunar landers on the recent launch. Japanese company ispace is conducting its second moon mission after a crash-landing in 2023. While Firefly was the primary payload, ispace had a “rideshare” agreement with SpaceX, allowing its lander to hitch a ride. NASA anticipates up to five U.S. companies launching lunar landing missions in 2025, indicating a growing interest in lunar exploration.
