Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Completes 'Fully Successful' Lunar Mission, Achieving 100% of Objectives

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander has concluded its two-week mission on the moon, achieving all objectives. The robotic lander, operating near Mons Latreille, transmitted 120 gigabytes of data, including the farthest-ever received GPS signal from the lunar surface. It also collected lunar dust and measured soil temperatures. Blue Ghost continued operating for five hours after lunar nightfall, a key mission goal. Firefly declared this the first "fully successful" commercial moon landing, contrasting with other missions that faced operational challenges. The mission was part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, with a $101.5 million contract. Before entering "monument mode," the lander sent a farewell message. The mission also captured images of an eclipse and the "diamond ring effect" from the moon's surface. NASA and Firefly plan to share additional observations during a news conference.