Blue Ghost lunar lander aims for Sunday landing

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander is set to land on the moon early Sunday, marking a significant milestone as the first private robotic lander to reach its target this year. The lander has spent time orbiting Earth and refining its trajectory. NASA has contracted Firefly for $101 million to deliver ten science instruments to the moon as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. This program aims to support future Artemis missions by gathering essential data about the lunar surface. Two other lunar landers, ispace's Resilience and Intuitive Machines' Athena, are also on their way to the moon. Resilience is expected to land in May, while Athena aims for a March 6 touchdown.