Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Captures Stunning Footage of the Moon

On February 13, 2025, the Blue Ghost lunar lander made history by successfully entering the moon’s orbit, marking a significant milestone for its developer, Firefly Aerospace. Since then, the spacecraft has been sending back breathtaking visuals of our celestial neighbor, including a close-up look at the moon’s far side, an area that remains hidden from Earth.

The recent footage showcases the moon’s rocky terrain, dotted with impact craters, as the Blue Ghost transitioned from a high elliptical orbit to a lower orbit approximately 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) above the lunar surface. This transition was completed on February 18, just days after the lander’s initial orbital insertion.

Joseph Marlin, the deputy chief engineer for Blue Ghost, expressed his excitement in an email, stating, “The latest Moon footage captured by Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is completely surreal.” He emphasized how the real-life imagery of the moon’s craters and boulders serves as a testament to the hard work that has gone into this mission.

The Blue Ghost embarked on its journey from Earth on February 8, traveling approximately 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) to reach the moon. Now, as it orbits the moon, the lander is set to attempt a descent to the lunar surface on March 2, 2025.

This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which aims to facilitate lunar exploration through private partnerships. The Blue Ghost carries ten NASA science and technology instruments that will operate for over two weeks after landing, primarily focusing on gathering data on the moon’s subsurface, including lunar dust and regolith—the loose rocks and mineral fragments that cover the lunar surface.

The Artemis program, under which CLPS operates, aims to land astronauts on the moon for the first time in over 50 years. NASA emphasizes that robotic missions like Blue Ghost are crucial for preparing for future crewed missions to the lunar surface and ultimately to Mars.

Upon landing, Blue Ghost is expected to settle on the far eastern edge of the moon’s near side, near Mons Latreille, an ancient volcanic feature located in the Mare Crisium, or “Sea of Crises.” The lander will conduct surface operations for one lunar day, approximately 14 Earth days, before facing the harsh conditions of lunar nighttime, where extreme darkness and cold temperatures will halt its operations.

Looking ahead, the engineers behind Blue Ghost are particularly eager about the data they will collect post-landing. Marlin mentioned the excitement surrounding a solar eclipse that will occur on March 14, where the Earth will block the sun from the moon’s surface for about five hours. This event will be visible from the moon’s perspective while a lunar eclipse will be observable from parts of Earth. Additionally, the mission aims to capture the lunar sunset on March 16 and investigate the phenomenon of dust levitation, a curious occurrence first noted by the last Apollo astronaut on the moon.

As the Blue Ghost lunar lander continues its mission, it not only represents a leap forward in lunar exploration but also ignites the imagination of what lies beyond our planet, paving the way for future discoveries in the cosmos.