US company achieves historic Moon landing with Blue Ghost mission

DDM News

A private American company has successfully landed its spacecraft on the Moon.

This marks only the second commercial mission to achieve this feat.

Diaspora digital media (DDM) revealed that it is also the first private mission to land while remaining upright.

Firefly Aerospace, a Texas-based firm, accomplished this milestone with its Blue Ghost Mission 1.

The lander touched down near Mons Latreille in Mare Crisium.

This location is in the northeastern part of the Moon.

The historic landing occurred at 3:34 a.m. US Eastern Time on Sunday.

As the spacecraft safely reached the Moon, cheers erupted in mission control.

An engineer at the control center in Austin, Texas, confirmed the landing.

“Y’all stuck the landing, we’re on the Moon,” the engineer announced.

Firefly Aerospace’s CEO, Jason Kim, confirmed the spacecraft’s condition.

He stated that the lander was in a “stable and upright” position.

This was a significant improvement over the previous private attempt.

The earlier mission in February landed sideways and faced operational challenges.

NASA officials also celebrated this achievement.

Nicky Fox, an administrator at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, expressed excitement.

“We’re on the Moon!” Fox exclaimed.

The event marks a major step forward for commercial lunar exploration.

It represents a new chapter in NASA’s collaboration with private companies.

A precise landing after a long journey

Blue Ghost’s journey to the Moon began on January 15.

The lander launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Over 2.8 million miles, it traveled through space toward its destination.

The spacecraft captured breathtaking footage of Earth and the Moon.

Upon arrival, the lander executed a precise autonomous descent.

It slowed from thousands of miles per hour to just two mph.

Blue Ghost navigated rugged terrain to find a safe touchdown spot.

The first image sent back showed a rocky, crater-filled landscape.

This highlighted the challenges of selecting a safe landing area.

NASA named the mission “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”

The mission is part of NASA’s efforts to reduce space exploration costs.

It also supports Artemis, NASA’s program to return astronauts to the Moon.

Scientific objectives and upcoming observations

The lander, roughly the size of a hippopotamus, carries ten scientific instruments.

One device will analyze Moon soil to study its composition.

Another instrument is a radiation-resistant computer for testing technology durability.

A third experiment will assess whether Earth’s navigation satellites can guide Moon missions.

A major highlight of the mission will occur on March 14.

Blue Ghost will capture high-definition images of a total eclipse.

During the eclipse, Earth will block sunlight from the Moon’s horizon.

This event will provide a rare view of celestial movements.

On March 16, the lander will document a lunar sunset.

Scientists will study how dust particles behave under solar influence.

The experiment will investigate the mysterious lunar horizon glow.

This phenomenon was first observed by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan.

Another private mission heads for the Moon

Blue Ghost’s successful landing precedes another private lunar attempt.

Texas-based Intuitive Machines is preparing for its second mission.

The company made history in February with its first Moon landing.

However, that mission had a technical setback upon landing.

The spacecraft tipped over due to an unexpectedly high descent speed.

This time, Intuitive Machines has redesigned its lander.

Athena, the new lander, has a taller and slimmer structure.

These changes are expected to improve stability upon touchdown.

Athena launched on Wednesday aboard a SpaceX rocket.

It is set to land near Mons Mouton, a southern Moon region.

This marks the southernmost lunar landing attempt in history.

Athena carries three rovers and a drill for ice exploration.

It also features an innovative hopping drone for terrain studies.

The drone will explore the rugged surface of the Moon.

Challenges of landing on the Moon

Landing on the Moon presents unique technical difficulties.

The Moon has no atmosphere, making parachutes ineffective for landings.

Instead, spacecraft must rely on precision-controlled thrusters for descent.

Five national space agencies have previously landed on the Moon.

These include the Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan.

Private companies are now entering this exclusive group.

NASA is encouraging commercial lunar landings through a special program.

The Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative aims to support private missions.

It has a budget of $2.6 billion for upcoming projects.

NASA hopes these partnerships will make Moon landings routine.

Future of NASA’s Moon missions

These private landings come at a critical time for NASA.

There is speculation about the future of the Artemis program.

Artemis aims to return astronauts to the Moon for long-term exploration.

However, some believe the program may be scaled back.

NASA may shift focus toward Mars exploration instead.

Former President Donald Trump supported prioritizing Mars over the Moon.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has also emphasized Mars missions.

If priorities shift, NASA could reduce funding for Artemis.

Resources may be redirected toward sending humans to Mars.

For now, private lunar missions continue gaining momentum.

Blue Ghost’s landing marks a step toward commercial space exploration.

Private companies may soon play a leading role in Moon missions.

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