Firefly Aerospace Lands on the Moon with Blue Ghost

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander became the second US company to achieve a moon landing with its recent touchdown. The mission, involving ten scientific payloads, marks a notable entry in the lunar race, following the path of several nations and private firms.

Firefly Aerospace achieved a major milestone on Sunday by becoming the second U.S. company to land on the moon. Their debut lander, Blue Ghost, initiated a two-week research mission, signaling a significant leap in the ongoing global lunar exploration race.

The Blue Ghost lander, roughly the size of a compact car, successfully touched down on Mare Crisium, delivering 10 scientific payloads after descending at a gentle two miles per hour. This event was confirmed by flight controllers at Firefly's headquarters in Austin, Texas.

With this achievement, Firefly joins Intuitive Machines as private players in lunar exploration. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander completed a soft landing last year. These missions highlight a surge in private sector participation alongside historically dominant nations in space exploration.

(With inputs from agencies.)