Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander made a successful landing on the Moon on Sunday, March 2. This marked a major achievement for private space exploration.

A Milestone in Commercial Moon Landings

Blue Ghost became the second commercial spacecraft to land on the Moon. Unlike its predecessor, which tipped over, Firefly’s lander remained upright. The spacecraft had been orbiting the Moon for two weeks before finally executing its landing. Shortly after, Firefly’s mission control in Texas confirmed the touchdown. “You all stuck the landing. We’re on the moon,” said Will Coogan, Firefly’s chief engineer. The four-legged lander touched down in a large basin on the Moon’s northeast side, which faces Earth.

About Firefly Aerospace and Blue Ghost

Firefly Aerospace, founded a decade ago, aims to establish a commercial presence on the Moon. As part of this effort, the company is preparing for future astronaut missions. The Blue Ghost lander, named after a rare firefly species, stands over six feet tall and 11 feet wide. Moreover, its four legs provide extra stability for a safe landing. Previously, Intuitive Machines was the first private company to land on the Moon. Its spacecraft, Odysseus, touched down on February 22, 2024. However, it unfortunately tipped over on a crater slope. Meanwhile, Blue Ghost launched in mid-January on a SpaceX rocket. It carries 10 NASA payloads designed to collect lunar soil samples and capture X-ray images of Earth’s magnetic field. In addition, the lander features a vacuum to gather material and a drill to measure temperatures up to 10 feet below the surface. During its journey, Blue Ghost also sent stunning images of Earth and detailed photos of the Moon’s terrain.

Upcoming Commercial Moon Landings

Looking ahead, two more private landers will follow soon. Next week, Houston-based Intuitive Machines will attempt another landing with a 15-foot spacecraft. Similarly, Japanese company ispace plans to land its spacecraft, Resilience, in three months. It launched alongside Blue Ghost but took a longer route. Notably, this is ispace’s second attempt at a lunar landing. Its first lander crashed two years ago due to a miscalculation, causing it to fall about three miles (five kilometers) onto the surface. Overall, private companies are making rapid progress in lunar exploration. As a result, more commercial Moon landings are on the way.