Jubilation as Firefly Aerospace makes history with a nail-biting lunar landing

Firefly Aerospace has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first private company to successfully land on the moon. The Blue Ghost lander touched down on the moon’s surface at 3:34 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 2, making a soft and upright landing with its payload of science experiments and technology tests intact.

Landing on the crater-filled surface of the moon posed a challenge, but the autonomous landing process was executed flawlessly. The lander used a downward-facing camera and terrain relative navigation software to adjust its trajectory and select a safe landing site. This technology enabled the lander to accurately determine its location, speed, and potential landing hazards such as boulders and craters.

Even as the Firefly team celebrated the successful landing, they remained focused on future challenges. Kevin Scholtes, Firefly’s Future Systems Architect, emphasized the team’s commitment to ensuring a brighter future and continuously improving their operations.

Following the safe landing in Mare Crisium, the Blue Ghost lander will conduct experiments for the next two weeks. The payloads include NASA experiments aimed at studying various aspects of the moon’s surface and its interactions with Earth’s magnetic field.

Firefly also shared the first image captured by the lander on the moon’s surface, with more high-quality images expected as the mission progresses.

Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace, expressed pride in the team’s achievement and highlighted their commitment to expanding access to the moon and beyond. He announced plans for annual lunar missions to establish a lasting presence on the moon and pave the way for further exploration of the solar system.