Touchdown: 'Blue Ghost' Lander Successfully Reaches the Moon

Firefly Aerospace's 'Blue Ghost' lander has successfully touched down in the Mare Crisium basin, marking a triumphant return for commercial lunar exploration. The lander, carrying 10 NASA payloads, is now beaming back high-definition data about the moon's regolith and radiation environment.

Mission Highlights

* Landing Site: Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises).
* Payloads: Experiments to test lunar dust shielding and subsurface drilling.
* Significance: Proves the viability of the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) model after recent mixed results.

The Science

The mission is critical for the upcoming Artemis human landings. Blue Ghost is studying how rocket plumes interact with lunar soil—a key safety factor for landing larger crews. It is also testing a new radiation shield derived from fungus (yes, fungus) that could protect future habitats.