Blue Ghost Mission 1

Why in News?

Firefly Aerospace, U.S. Company successfully landed its spacecraft on the Moon recently.

It is the second private mission to make a soft lunar landing.
It is Nicknamed ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’.
Aim - To land for a site near Mons Latreille, a volcanic feature in Mare Crisium on the Moon’s northeastern near side.

Mare Crisium, once an ancient asteroid impact site, formed around 3 billion years ago when volcanic eruptions filled the basin with basaltic lava.

Launch Vehicle - SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Size - 2 metres tall and 3.5 meters wide.
Instruments – It carries 10 instruments, including
- A lunar soil analyzer,
- A radiation-tolerant computer and
- An experiment testing the feasibility of using the existing global satellite navigation system to navigate the moon.
It is engineered for stability with shock-absorbing feet, a low centre of mass, and a broad footprint. It incorporated flight-proven technologies.
Its Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters fired as needed, ensuring a controlled and smooth landing.
Functions - It will operate its payloads for a full lunar day (14 Earth days).
On March 14, it will capture high-definition images of a total eclipse, where Earth blocked sunlight from reaching the Moon.
On March 16, it will record the lunar sunset, gathering data on how solar activity causes lunar dust to levitate, a phenomenon first observed by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Blue Ghost Mission 1 delivered 10 scientific and technological instruments to the lunar surface.
Scientific contributions - Blue Ghost’s payloads will contribute to lunar research through groundbreaking experiments, including
- Testing regolith collection,
- Global navigation satellite system capabilities,
- Radiation-resistant computing, and
- Lunar dust mitigation.

Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program

It is a collaboration with commercial companies to deliver science and technology to the Moon.
Agency – National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The program is intended to support NASA's Artemis lunar program.
Functions - NASA contracts with companies to deliver payloads to the Moon.
Companies bid on the services, including launching, landing, and payload integration.
The contracts are indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts.

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