On March 2, the Blue Ghost spacecraft built by Firefly Aerospace will begin landing on the Moon. The event will be broadcast live.
Blue Ghost technical design
Blue Ghost was developed by Firefly Aerospace specialists in the times when the company was headed by Ukrainian entrepreneur and philanthropist Max Polyakov. The vehicle is designed to deliver cargo to the Moon. Blue Ghost has a height of 2 meters and a diameter of 3.5 meters. Its dry mass (excluding fuel) is 469 kg. It is capable of delivering up to 150 kilograms of cargo to the lunar surface. Blue Ghost is powered by three solar panels capable of generating up to 400 watts of power.
The mission payload is ten cargoes transferred by NASA specialists. Their delivery to the Moon is under a contract awarded as part of the CLPS program. Firefly Aerospace won it in February 2021.
The mission’s science program includes studying the regolith and structure of the lunar interior, experiments to pick up GPS signals on the Moon, determining the exact distance between the Earth and the Moon using a next-generation retroreflector, testing a radiation-resistant computer, and measuring the interaction of Earth’s magnetosphere with the solar wind.
Live broadcast of the moon landing
Blue Ghost was launched on January 15, 2025. After several weeks in Earth orbit, the vehicle made a flyby to the Moon. Subsequently, it performed a number of maneuvers necessary to prepare for landing.
The spacecraft will begin landing on the Moon on March 2. If everything goes according to plan, Blue Ghost will touch the surface at 3:45 a.m. EST. The landing will be broadcast live on NASA’s website and its social networks. It will start on March 2 at approximately 2:30 a.m. EST (0730 UTC).
Firefly Aerospace will also be broadcasting the event on its youtube channel. If successful, it will become the second company in history to land its own spacecraft on the Moon.
Blue Ghost should land in Mare Crisium, which is located in the northeastern part of the visible side of the Moon. The vehicle is designed to operate for 14 days. Since the Blue Ghost has no heaters, it will probably not survive a cold lunar night.
Firefly Aerospace has two more contracts from NASA awarded under the CLPS program. The missions under them will be launched in 2026 and 2028. The goal of the first of them will be to place a robotic radio telescope on the far side of the Moon. The second mission will study a volcanic formation called Gruithuisen Domes.
You can learn more about the history, technical design and main tasks of the Blue Ghost in our article.
