Firefly Aerospace has successfully landed its Blue Ghost Mission 1 spacecraft on the Moon, becoming only the second private company in history to achieve this milestone. The historic landing, which was broadcast live, marks a significant step forward for commercial space exploration.
After a 45-day journey through space, Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the Moon’s northeastern side, at 03:34 EST (08:34 GMT). Along the way, the spacecraft captured a series of spectacular photos documenting its voyage.
“Firefly is literally and figuratively over the Moon,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “With annual lunar missions, Firefly is paving the way for a lasting lunar presence that will help unlock access to the rest of the solar system for our nation, our partners, and the world.”
The Blue Ghost lander, a compact, 2-meter-high and 3.5-meter-wide golden robot, will operate for 14 Earth days. During its mission, it is expected to capture rare footage of a lunar twilight and a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow.
The lander also carries a suite of scientific instruments provided by NASA, including a drill designed to probe the lunar soil and measure subsurface temperatures, as well as a high-resolution camera to document its surroundings.
Private companies race to the Moon
Firefly Aerospace follows in the footsteps of Intuitive Machines, which became the first private company to land a spacecraft on the Moon in February 2024 with its Nova-C class Odysseus lander. That mission, part of NASA’s Artemis program, marked the first US lunar landing in more than 50 years.
The competition for commercial lunar exploration is intensifying. Intuitive Machines is currently carrying its second mission, with its Athena lander scheduled to land on the Moon on March 6, 2025.
