Blue Ghost Lands Safely on the Moon: A Historic Achievement
Firefly Aerospace, an American company based in Texas, has made history by successfully landing its Blue Ghost lunar lander on the moon. This marks the first time a private company has safely landed a spacecraft on the lunar surface without crashing or tipping over.
Blue Ghost was launched on January 15 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The lander, which is about 6.6 feet tall and 11 feet wide, carried 10 scientific and technological instruments from NASA. It landed within 328 feet of its designated spot on Sunday. Within 30 minutes of landing, it began sending pictures of the moon back to Earth.
NASA invested $101 million to send these instruments to the moon and an additional $44 million to manufacture them. Over the next 15 days, Blue Ghost will conduct various experiments, including measuring temperatures below the moon’s surface, collecting lunar dust, and testing a device designed to clean harmful dust from astronauts’ suits and equipment.
This mission is a major step forward for private space companies in the race for lunar exploration. Previously, other private companies attempted moon landings but failed due to technical issues. Firefly Aerospace’s success shows that private companies can play a crucial role in future space missions.
Another private lander, Athena, developed by Intuitive Machines, is set to land on the moon later this week within 100 miles of the moon’s south pole. This follows Intuitive Machines’ earlier attempt with the Odyssey lander in February last year, which unfortunately fell due to a technical problem.
With private companies like Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines advancing space exploration, the dream of human settlement and travel on the moon is becoming more realistic. Blue Ghost’s successful landing is a significant milestone in this journey.
ALSO READ | Gaganyaan Mission: Cryogenic Engine Cleared for Liftoff