Blue Ghost reveals the moon's hidden craters ahead of landing
Blue Ghost, operated by Firefly Aerospace, has captured the latest photographs from the Moon's orbit. The footage reveals close-ups of the extensive craters on the side of the Moon that are not visible from Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to land on the Moon in a few days.
Blue Ghost, a private spacecraft, has just transmitted video footage from the far side of the Moon. It forms part of a mission to deliver ten scientific and technological instruments to the Moon's surface. The spacecraft is currently undertaking a series of manoeuvres to lower its orbit around the Moon. It is proceeding towards the Mare Crisium region on the Moon’s surface, where it plans to land on 2nd March.
Blue Ghost is developed and operated by Firefly Aerospace, a private space technology firm. Although this mission is financed as part of the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which involves NASA paying for the service of delivering payloads to the Moon, the lander itself belongs to Firefly Aerospace, and the company is responsible for its development, construction, and operations. NASA commissioning missions to private companies instead of constructing its spacecraft is part of the commercialisation strategy for lunar flights. Firefly Aerospace is one of many private entities participating in this initiative.
Blue Ghost will study heat flow on the Moon
The Firefly Aerospace team reported the completion of another orbital manoeuvre around the Moon on 19th February, which lasted three minutes and eighteen seconds. This manoeuvre transitioned the lander from a high to a much lower elliptical orbit around the Moon. Shortly after this action, Blue Ghost captured remarkable images of the far side of the Moon from a distance of approximately 120 kilometres from its surface.
NASA placed a variety of advanced equipment on board the Blue Ghost lander. The mission aims to examine the heat flow from the Moon's interior, the interaction between the plume and the surface, and the analysis of the crust’s electric and magnetic fields. Additionally, X-ray images of Earth's magnetosphere will be taken. This mission also includes plans to test technologies such as regolith collection and adhesion, computer radiation resistance, and dust mitigation using electrodynamic fields.
This is essential for future crewed missions to the Moon
The 14-day mission aims to assist in planning future manned expeditions to the Moon. The highlight will be the capture of high-resolution images of an eclipse, where Earth will block the Sun over the Moon's horizon, scheduled for 14th March.
The following day, Blue Ghost will capture the sunset on the Moon, providing data on lunar dust, which, according to Eugene Cernan from the Apollo 17 mission, causes the horizon to glow. After sunset, the lander will operate for several hours during the lunar night. Studying the dust is crucial for future crewed missions, as without an atmosphere, this dust can hover above the surface, posing the risk of infiltrating equipment and astronauts' respiratory systems.
Blue Ghost is transmitting data regarding this phenomenon, preparing to descend towards the Moon's surface. According to Firefly Aerospace, the team is experiencing planned communication interruptions due to the lander passing over the far side of the Moon. Upon reaching the visible side, they will resume receiving data and finalise plans for the next manoeuvre, allowing Blue Ghost to continue its approach towards the lunar surface, keeping the schedule for the landing on 2nd March.
