Firefly Aerospace prepares for lunar landing mission now

Firefly Aerospace is hours away from attempting a lunar landing with its Blue Ghost Mission 1, targeting a site near Mons Latreille. This mission follows the first commercial lunar landing last year and is part of NASA's efforts to support private space exploration. The Blue Ghost lander, launched on January 15, carries ten scientific instruments and is designed to operate for a full lunar day. It aims to capture high-definition images of a total eclipse on March 14 and a lunar sunset on March 16. Following Blue Ghost, Intuitive Machines will attempt its IM-2 mission on March 6, featuring a new lander called Athena. This mission includes a hopping drone and aims to explore the Moon's southernmost landing site.