Blue Ghost achieves successful lunar landing on first attempt

A robotic spacecraft named Blue Ghost successfully landed on the moon on Sunday, marking a significant achievement for Firefly Aerospace. This is the first successful lunar landing by a U.S. private company on its first attempt, joining China in this accomplishment. The Blue Ghost lander touched down in Mare Crisium, carrying 10 instruments for NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The mission will last about 14 Earth days and focuses on studying lunar dust, which poses challenges for equipment and astronauts. Firefly Aerospace has two more lunar missions planned, with the next one set for next year on the moon's far side. Another lunar lander, Athena, is scheduled to land later this week, continuing the momentum of lunar exploration.