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 its portfolio in recent years by venturing into lunar landers and space tugs.
The Blue Ghost lander, standing nearly 7 feet tall and named after a rare firefly species in the U.S., 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 aims to deliver scientific projects and cargo to the moon in support of NASA’s Artemis crew program.
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 Mare Crisium lunar basin on the near side of the moon, where Firefly plans to operate the lander for a full lunar day and continue operations into the lunar night.
In a notable development, 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.
