NASA recently made a bet that commercial companies could take scientific experiments to the moon on a lower budget than the agency could. The first NASA-financed spacecraft on this mission missed the moon, while another landed but fell over. However, Firefly Aerospace’s robotic lander, Blue Ghost, successfully completed its mission last month.
Despite knowing that the spacecraft was nearing the end of its life, scientists from Firefly were excited about the successful mission. The Blue Ghost collected valuable scientific observations on Mare Crisium, a lunar lava plain. One experiment captured exhaust plumes from the thrusters as they landed, providing vital data for preventing disasters during future moon landings.
Other experiments on Blue Ghost included studying lunar dust, conducting magnetic soundings, and drilling to collect samples. The spacecraft also deployed a pneumatic drill and a device for collecting samples, which will be used on a Martian moon mission. One experiment focused on observing Earth’s magnetic field boundary to understand how energy from solar storms affects our planet.
The success of Blue Ghost has provided valuable data for scientists working on lunar geology and space exploration. Firefly Aerospace’s achievement has left a lasting impression on the scientists involved, as they look up at the moon knowing that their instruments are still up there. NASA’s bet on commercial companies for lunar missions has paid off with the success of Blue Ghost, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.
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