Firefly Aerospace’s first CLPS or commercial lunar payload services flight for NASA, carrying science and technology; Blue Ghost Mission 1 Launched at 1:11 a.m. EST on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The company is targeting a lunar landing on Sunday, March 2.
“This mission embodies the bold spirit of NASA’s Artemis mission — a mission driven by scientific exploration and discovery,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Every flight we’re a part of is an important step in the larger blueprint for establishing a responsible, sustainable human presence on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Every scientific instrument and technology demonstration brings us closer to realizing our vision.” Congratulations to the NASA, Firefly and SpaceX teams on this successful launch.
Once on the Moon, NASA tested lunar drilling technology, regolith (lunar rocks and soil) sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system capabilities, radiation-tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods. And will demonstrate. The data obtained can also benefit humans on Earth by providing insight into how space weather and other cosmic forces affect our home planet.
“NASA leads the world in space exploration, and American companies are a critical part of getting humanity back to the moon,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We learned many lessons during the Apollo era that informed the technical and science demonstrations aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission 1 — our future science instruments, spacecraft, and, most importantly, the Moon. “Ensuring the safety and health of our astronauts on the surface. I’m excited to see the incredible science and technical data Firefly’s Blue Ghost mission 1 will deliver in the coming days.”
As part of NASA’s advanced lunar exploration activities, CLPS missions to the Moon will help humanity better understand planetary processes and evolution, search for water and other resources, and prepare for the first human missions to the Moon. It will support long-term, sustainable humanitarian efforts. To Mars
NASA has 10 payloads on this flight:
- Lunar Instrument for Rapid Subsurface Thermal Exploration (LISTER) It will characterize the heat flow from the lunar interior by measuring the thermal gradient and conductivity of the lunar surface. It will take several measurements to a final depth of about 10 feet using pneumatic drilling technology with a custom heat flux needle tool on the tip. Lead Organization: Texas Tech University
- Lunar Planet Vac (LPV) Designed to collect regolith samples from the lunar surface using bursts of compressed gas to propel the regolith into a sample chamber for collection and analysis by various instruments. Additional instruments would then transmit the results back to Earth. Main organization: Honeybee Robotics
- Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector (NGLR) Acts as a target for lasers on Earth to accurately measure the distance between the Earth and the Moon. The retroreflector that will fly on this mission can also collect data to understand different aspects of the Moon’s interior and solve fundamental physics questions. Lead Organization: University of Maryland
- Regolith Adherence Characterization (RAC) This will determine how the lunar regolith adheres to a range of materials exposed to the lunar atmosphere throughout the lunar day. The RAC instrument will use imaging to measure deposition rates of lunar regolith on the surface of a variety of materials, including solar cells, optical systems, coatings, and sensors, to determine their ability to repel or shed lunar dust. . The data gained will allow the industry to test, improve, and protect spacecraft, spacesuits, and habitats from abrasive regolith. Lead Organization: Aegis Aerospace
- Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) will demonstrate a computer that can withstand damage caused by ionizing radiation. Several prototypes of the RadPC have been tested on the International Space Station and Earth-orbiting satellites, but now it will demonstrate the computer’s ability to withstand space radiation as it transits to the Moon. and passes through the Earth’s radiation belt at the Moon’s surface. Lead Organization: Montana State University
- Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) is an active dust reduction technology that uses electric fields to prevent the dangerous accumulation of lunar dust on surfaces. EDS technology is designed to pick up, transport and remove particles from surfaces that do not move. Several tests will demonstrate the feasibility of self-cleaning glass and thermal radiator surfaces on the Moon. If the surfaces are not dusted during landing, the EDS is capable of re-dusting itself using the same technology. Lead Organization: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
- Lunar Atmosphere Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) It will acquire a series of X-ray images to study the interaction of the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field that drives geostrophic disturbances and storms. Deployed and operated on the surface of the Moon, the instrument will provide the first global images showing the edge of Earth’s magnetic field to determine how space weather and other cosmic forces around our planet affect it. There are styles. Major organizations: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Boston University, and Johns Hopkins University
- Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) It will characterize the structure and composition of the moon’s mantle by measuring the electric and magnetic fields. The probe will help determine the temperature composition and thermal evolution of the Moon to help understand how the Moon has cooled and varied chemically since its formation. Lead Organization: Southwest Research Institute
- Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) During transit to the Moon, during lunar orbit, and on the surface of the Moon will demonstrate the possibility of receiving and tracking signals from Global Navigation Satellite System constellations, particularly GPS and Galileo. If successful, LuGRE will be the first pathfinder for future lunar spacecraft to use existing Earth-based navigation constellations to autonomously and accurately estimate their position, speed and time. Major organizations: NASA Goddard, Italian Space Agency
- Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS). Stereo imaging will use photogrammetry to capture the impact of the rocket plume on the lunar regolith as the lander descends on the lunar surface. The high-resolution stereo images will help models predict lunar regolith erosion, a critical task as large, heavy payloads are delivered close together on the moon. The instrument also flew on Intuitive Machine’s first CLPS delivery. Lead Organization: NASA’s Langley Research Center
“With 10 NASA science and technology instruments on the Moon, this is the largest CLPS delivery to date, and we’re proud of the teams that got us there,” said Chris Culbert, program manager for Commercial Lunar Payload Services. has reached.” initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We will follow up with this latest CLPS delivery in 2025 and beyond. American innovation and interest in the Moon continues to grow, and NASA has already delivered 11 CLPS and has options for two more flights each year to continue. intends to
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander is targeted to land near a volcanic feature called Mons Lateral within Mare Cressium, a more than 300-mile-wide basin located in the near-northeast quadrant of the Moon. On this flight, NASA science will collect valuable scientific data studying Earth’s closest neighbor and help pave the way for the first Artemis astronauts to explore the lunar surface later this decade.
Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative:
Finally
Amber Jacobson / Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
Natalia Reusich / Nilofar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
nataila.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov
Antonia Jaramillo
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-501-8425
antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov