Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander successfully completed a two-week mission for NASA on the moon before losing power as the sun set, ending its operations. The lander landed on the moon’s far northeastern edge in March as part of NASA’s commercial lunar delivery program. Firefly confirmed that all 10 science experiments carried out by the lander were successful. Blue Ghost also observed a total solar eclipse last week from the moon. Firefly became the first private company to successfully land on the moon without any issues, unlike other companies that have experienced failed attempts in recent years. The company is already planning its next lunar lander and aims to achieve one moon landing per year. Meanwhile, another Texas company, Intuitive Machines, experienced difficulties with their lunar lander, ultimately ending up sideways in a crater near the moon’s south pole. This failure marks the second incomplete mission for Intuitive Machines. The company’s first lander successfully landed on the moon last year, but had communication issues due to a less-than-perfect landing. Firefly’s successful mission on the moon highlights the growing capabilities of private companies in space exploration.
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