Photo: Depositphotos
The Blue Ghost spacecraft from the US company Firefly Aerospace successfully landed on the Moon on Sunday, 2 March, at 03:34 a.m. US Eastern Time. This is reported by the official website of NASA.
The docking took place near Mount Latreille in the Sea of Crises on the visible side of the Moon. This is one of the key missions to study the Earth’s natural satellite, which will help prepare for future missions involving astronauts.
What Blue Ghost will do on the Moon
The spacecraft carries 10 research instruments developed in collaboration with NASA and Firefly Aerospace. Among the main objectives of the mission:
– study of lunar soil (regolith);
– analysis of lunar dust and its impact;
– research of various types of radiation.
The data collected should help in planning long-term missions and creating safe conditions for people to stay on the Moon.
What’s next
The Blue Ghost mission is designed for 14 days of active work. The spacecraft is not expected to return to Earth at this time. During this time, the module will transmit scientific information and graphic content to Earth.
The first photos have already been received by NASA – the image was taken immediately after the successful rendezvous.
This success was an important step for the US space programme, as Blue Ghost will not only help prepare new research, but will also become an important part of the global programme to return humans to the Moon.
