Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Lander Set to Attempt Lunar Landing on March 2, Carrying NASA Payloads to Mare Crisium

Firefly Aerospace is scheduled to attempt its first lunar landing with the Blue Ghost lander on March 2 at 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT) in Mare Crisium. The landing will be broadcast live by NASA and Firefly Aerospace. Launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 15, the Blue Ghost carries 10 NASA experiments as part of the CLPS program, with a mission to study the lunar surface for approximately two weeks. The landing sequence begins about an hour prior, with commands initiating a 63-minute deorbit and landing process. The lander will autonomously navigate the final descent using onboard systems. Mare Crisium, a vast basalt plain, is the target landing site, specifically a volcanic dome called Mons Latreille. The 6.6-foot-tall Blue Ghost is designed to operate for one lunar day (14 Earth days), after which it is expected to shut down. If the initial landing attempt is unsuccessful, there is a possibility for a delayed attempt in the following one to two hours.