March 2, 2025 – Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is preparing for a historic touchdown on the Moon after a successful journey through space. The lander, which launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, 2025, is scheduled to land on the Moon’s Mare Crisium region at approximately 2:30 a.m. CST (0830 UTC).

Mission Overview

• Launch Date: January 15, 2025
• Landing Site: Mare Crisium, a prominent lunar basin
• Mission Duration: Approximately 45 days from Earth to Moon
• Primary Objective: Deliver NASA-funded payloads to study the Moon’s surface and environment

The Blue Ghost Mission 1, named “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, a program designed to support scientific exploration ahead of the Artemis missions.

Journey to the Moon

Since launch, Blue Ghost has been traveling in a highly controlled trajectory, successfully entering lunar orbit in mid-February. The spacecraft has sent back breathtaking images of both the Earth and the Moon, demonstrating the progress of its voyage.

Firefly’s flight controllers recently executed the Descent Orbit Insertion (DOI) command, setting the stage for the final descent phase. The lander’s autonomous navigation system will handle the delicate final approach and touchdown sequence.

How to Watch the Landing

Firefly Aerospace and NASA will provide a live-streamed coverage of the landing, starting at 1:20 a.m. CST (0720 UTC), approximately 75 minutes before the anticipated touchdown.

📺 Where to Watch:

• Firefly Aerospace’s official website (fireflyspace.com)
• NASA TV and YouTube channel
• SpaceX live webcast (if available)

Why This Mission Matters

The Blue Ghost lander will deliver ten NASA instruments to the lunar surface, including:

• Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder – Studies the Moon’s interior structure
• Regolith Adherence Experiment – Analyzes how lunar dust interacts with surfaces
• Nighttime Solar Power Experiment – Tests energy storage for future missions

This mission will lay the groundwork for upcoming crewed Artemis missions, helping NASA develop critical lunar technologies.

Looking Ahead

With its first lunar landing mission, Firefly Aerospace is positioning itself as a key player in the commercial space sector. The data collected from Blue Ghost will be crucial for future exploration efforts, including human settlements on the Moon and potential Mars missions.

Stay tuned for live updates as Firefly’s Blue Ghost attempts its historic lunar landing!