Blue Ghost Mission 1 Lands on Moon, Achieves Historic Upright Touchdown

A U.S. private spacecraft has successfully landed on the moon, marking only the second commercial mission to reach the lunar surface—and the first to do so while remaining upright.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down at 8:34 a.m. GMT near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in the Mare Crisium region on the moon’s northeastern near side. The mission control team in Austin, Texas, erupted in celebration as CEO Jason Kim confirmed that the lander was “stable and upright” after landing.

This achievement stands in contrast to the first private lunar landing in February 2024 by Texas-based Intuitive Machines, whose lander tipped over upon arrival.

Precision Landing and Scientific Goals

The Blue Ghost lander executed two hazard-avoidance maneuvers before touchdown, ensuring it landed within 100 meters of its target. “That tells us our software worked exactly as needed,” said program manager Ray Allensworth.

The first image from the lander showcased the rugged lunar terrain that Blue Ghost had to autonomously navigate as it slowed from thousands of miles per hour to just 2 mph during its final descent.

Mission Details and Future Plans

Part of NASA’s $2.6 billion partnership to support the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon, Blue Ghost carries 10 scientific instruments. These include a lunar soil analyzer, a radiation-tolerant computer, and an experiment testing whether global satellite navigation systems can assist with lunar positioning.

The lander is set to capture high-definition imagery of a total eclipse on March 14, when Earth blocks the sun from the moon’s horizon. It will also record a lunar sunset on March 16, providing insights into how dust levitates under solar influence—phenomena first documented by Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan.

Blue Ghost’s success paves the way for Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, scheduled to launch on March 6 with its lander, Athena.

Landing on the moon remains a formidable challenge due to the lack of atmosphere, which makes parachutes ineffective. Spacecraft must rely solely on precise thruster burns to control their descent over hazardous terrain.