First images of the Blue Ghost landing on the Moon: this is how the historic moon landing was

Last update: 03/03/2025
Author Alberto navarro

  • Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander successfully landed on the Moon on March 2, 2025.
  • The mission carries 10 scientific instruments to study the Moon as part of the Artemis program.
  • Firefly Aerospace became the second private company to achieve a successful moon landing.
  • The probe captured and sent back stunning images from the lunar surface.
First images of the Blue Ghost landing on the Moon-6

The Blue Ghost has achieved a milestone in space exploration by becoming only the second private spacecraft to successfully land on the lunar surface. The mission, developed by Firefly Aerospace in collaboration with NASA, has set a benchmark for future lunar missions within the Artemis program.

The landing took place on March 2, 2025 in Mare Crisium, a lunar basin of great scientific interest. The module carries with it ten instruments intended for collect data on the composition of lunar soil, radiation on the surface and other aspects key to future exploration of Earth's natural satellite.

A precise and smooth landing

Photograph taken by Blue Ghost on the Moon

The Blue Ghost descended autonomously and managed to position itself in a stable vertical position, which ensures the proper functioning of the scientific instruments on board. During the descent maneuver, the thrusters were activated to reduce speed and adjust the trajectory, allowing a controlled moon landing.

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NASA confirmed that The probe managed to touch lunar soil within the designated area, near a volcanic formation called Mons LatreilleThis site was strategically chosen to avoid obstacles and maximize the efficiency of the experiments.

Importance of the mission in lunar exploration

First images of the Blue Ghost landing on the Moon-0

Blue Ghost not only represents an achievement for Firefly Aerospace, but also strengthens the role of private initiative in space exploration. This is the first successful mission under NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program, which opens the door for more collaborations between the private sector and the US space agency.

Data collected by the mission will be used to develop new technologies to facilitate future manned exploration. Artemis' objectives include: the creation of a sustainable human presence on the Moon and preparation for missions to Mars, similar to the missions of the Apollo 11, which also sought to bring humans to the lunar surface.

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Scientific instruments on board

The Blue Ghost module It involves a series of innovative experiments which will allow important studies of the Moon to be carried out. Among the most notable equipment are:

  • LuGRE (Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment): A GNSS receiver that will allow the feasibility of using satellite navigation systems on the Moon to be assessed.
  • RAC (Regolith Adherence Characterization): Designed to study how lunar dust adheres to different materials, a problem relevant to future manned missions.
  • LISTER (Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity): Instrument that will measure the heat flow from the interior of the Moon, providing valuable information on its thermal evolution.

The first images from the lunar surface

New images captured by Blue Ghost on the Moon

Moments after landing, Blue Ghost began sending the first images captured from the Moon. They show the lunar surface in great detail, as well as the shadow projected by the module on the satellite's surface.

The pictures show a stunning view of the Earth on the horizon, highlighting the importance of these missions for the expansion of space exploration. Thanks to the module's X-band antenna, even more high-resolution images are expected to be received in the coming days. This progress is similar to the new space technologies that are being developed to enhance lunar exploration.

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The future of lunar exploration

Blue Ghost will operate on the lunar surface for approximately 14 Earth days, the equivalent of one lunar day. During this time, instruments on board will collect critical data for future missions.

This mission is just the beginning of a new era in lunar exploration. Private companies and space agencies will continue to Collaborating to bring more technology to the Moon and, eventually, establish a permanent human presence on the satellite.

With this success, Firefly Aerospace opens the door to new commercial missions to the Moon, Laying the groundwork for the future of private space explorationThe data collection and technological testing carried out by Blue Ghost will provide essential information for the next steps in the conquest of space.