Blue Ghost lander successfully tests lunar soil collection

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully completed several science milestones just over four days into its mission on the Moon. Eight of the ten NASA payloads onboard have met their objectives, including the Lunar PlanetVac, which collects lunar soil. The Lunar PlanetVac has demonstrated its ability to collect and sort lunar regolith using pressurized nitrogen gas. Other successful payloads include the Electrodynamic Dust Shield and the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment, among others. Blue Ghost's mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which aims to enhance lunar exploration. In contrast, NASA's second private mission, Athena, experienced a partial success, landing tilted on its side.