Firefly's Blue Ghost successfully lands on the moon

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander has successfully touched down on the moon, marking the second private firm to achieve a soft landing. The spacecraft, about the size of a compact car, carried 10 scientific payloads and landed near a volcanic vent. The Blue Ghost is equipped with tools to collect lunar debris and measure temperatures beneath the surface. It also has a mechanism to address the issue of lunar dust, which affected past missions. The lander is expected to gather data for about two weeks. Firefly's mission is part of a growing trend of private space exploration, supported by NASA's Artemis program. NASA plans to assist two private moon landings each year, with ongoing missions from SpaceX and Blue Origin aiming for 2027.