The first private space mission has arrived on the Moon

A few days ago, the spacecraft Blue Ghost 1 successfully landed on the Moon, marking a milestone for Firefly Aerospace. With this mission, it became the first private company in the world to accomplish a successful private lunar landing. The lunar module was launched on January 15 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, landing at 3:34 AM (Eastern U.S. time) on March 2 in the Mare Crisium and is now in a stable position according to NASA. This is an unprecedented achievement within NASA, as from now on, it may rely on private companies for the delivery of equipment to the lunar surface. "We have already learned many lessons, and the technological and scientific demonstrations aboard Firefly's Blue Ghost 1 mission will enhance our ability not only to make new scientific discoveries but also to ensure the safety of instruments on our spacecraft for future human explorations, both in the short and long term," stated Janet Petro, acting administrator at NASA, in a press release. Blue Ghost 1 transported a lunar soil analyzer, a radiation-resistant computer, and an experiment to test the feasibility of using GPS for navigation on the Moon, all owned by the American space company.

The private mission by Firefly Aerospace is not the first to reach the lunar surface. The actual record would belong to the spacecraft owned by Texas-based company Intuitive Machines, which attempted a landing in February 2024. However, the spacecraft ultimately tipped over and stopped functioning. Other companies have since attempted lunar landings, but all ended with the same outcome: a crash landing. Blue Ghost 1, on the other hand, successfully transported NASA's technological instruments, which will operate on the surface for one lunar day (equivalent to 14 Earth days), allowing Firefly to establish itself as a reliable provider within the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. CLPS was launched by NASA specifically to fund private companies in developing landers for transporting instruments and equipment to the lunar surface, in preparation for the return of humans to the Moon by the end of this decade. It is not difficult to understand why Firefly is currently in a leading position over its competitors.

Blue Ghost 1 also represents a step forward (albeit a small one) for another NASA program, Artemis, whose goal is to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972. For this reason, Firefly's spacecraft is significant beyond the commercial aspect, as it aims to gather information about the lunar environment to support astronauts in future explorations of the Moon and Mars. With this goal in mind, moments after its arrival, the lander captured the first images, which were proudly shared on NASA’s official accounts. According to predictions, it should also capture high-definition images of the lunar eclipse on March 14. But that’s not all, as the company Intuitive Machines will have the opportunity on March 6 to attempt a new mission with the lunar module Athena. Significant progress is expected in the growth of the lunar economy, supported by NASA, with many new companies looking to carve out their place in this emerging market.