SpaceX pushes lunar exploration boundaries with dual mission launch
In 2025, our natural satellite once again becomes the target of unmanned private missions supported by NASA. The 100th SpaceX flight from the Kennedy Space Center is special because the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two lunar missions simultaneously. The successful launch took place in the morning on 15th January.
The Moon, despite being our nearest celestial neighbour, remains an object whose exploration presents considerable challenges, especially when undertaken by private enterprises, even if the vehicles are unmanned. Last year, the American company Astrobotic painfully learned this lesson when its Peregrine vehicle failed to reach its destination due to propulsion issues. Instead of exploring the vicinity of the lunar Oceanus Procellarum, the lander fell into Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific. A year earlier, the Japanese company ispace was close to success as its HAKUTO-R lander managed to reach the Moon. However, software errors in the navigation system during landing led to rapid fuel consumption and an uncontrolled impact on the surface.
Among the partially successful missions from 2024, the flight of Odyssey, built by Intuitive Machines IM-1 (supported by NASA), and SLIM (operated by the Japanese space agency JAXA) should be noted. Both landers settled on the lunar surface but tipped over and were unable to fulfil all of their goals. The fully successful lunar mission was that of CNSA (China National Space Administration), Chang'e 6, which enabled the return of the first ground samples from the far side of the Moon to Earth.
The path to recovering honour in 2025: Two missions already on their way to the Moon
For NASA and American space exploration ambitions, where the next stop after Earth's orbit is our natural satellite, last year's failures are a source of embarrassment. Therefore, it is no surprise that further attempts will be made in 2025. The Japanese also wish to reclaim their honour. This may happen soon, as two lunar missions have just launched concurrently from Earth. The Blue Ghost lander is the first such vehicle built by Firefly Aerospace, part of NASA's CLPS programme (Commercial Lunar Payload Services). The second is the Resilience lander built by ispace under the HAKUTO-R programme and aims to accomplish what was not achieved in 2023. Along with the Japanese lander, a small four-wheeled rover Tenacious, built by the company's European branch, also headed to the Moon, carrying a small model of a Lunar House representing a Swedish cottage.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch at 06:11 GMT from Cape Canaveral, as shown in the accompanying video, was extraordinary. It was the 100th launch of a SpaceX rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. More importantly, both landers were in the same payload compartment of the rocket. This means they departed simultaneously on their journey, although their flight trajectories to the Moon will differ, and, notably, the travel time will be quite long. This approach helps reduce costs and fuel requirements.
The Blue Ghost lander was placed above the Resilience lander, which was enclosed in a special capsule. These actions were necessary to enable such a launch and the separate deployment of each lander into Earth's orbit. Combined launches of multiple vehicles in one rocket, known as rideshare, are not uncommon, but for flights between two celestial bodies with such large single vehicles, it is rare. The separation of the Blue Ghost lander from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket occurred 1 hour and 5 minutes after launch, and 7 minutes later, Firefly Aerospace control confirmed contact with the vehicle. And 1 hour and 32 minutes after launch, Resilience was released on its journey.
Not a few days, but long weeks and months of travel
Blue Ghost, the first of three planned missions by Firefly, is set to land in the lunar Mare Insularum (visible from Earth near the western edge of the Moon's disc) only after 45 days of travel. During this time, the lander will orbit Earth for 25 days, then fly towards the Moon for 4 days, and then orbit it for 16 days, preparing for landing on 2nd March this year. The activities on the surface are planned to last two weeks, as long as one day lasts there.
The Resilience flight will take even longer, as a rather wide initial orbit will be taken, ending with entry into the Moon's orbit and landing in the area of Mare Frigoris (visible from Earth near the north pole of our satellite) only after 4 to 5 months, or by the end of spring this year. The lander, however, will fly near the Moon for the first time a month after launch from Earth.
Firefly Aerospace's and ispace's missions are two of five planned lunar surface flights for this year. The others include Intuitive Machines IM-2, heading towards the lunar south pole and also part of NASA's CLPS programme, the Astrobotic mission named Griffin (launch in the autumn), and Blue Origin's mission, the Blue Moon lander (MK1).
