NASA sets to stage first commercial robotic launch to Moon

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission one is scheduled for launch on Wednesday, January 15, transporting NASA’s scientific instruments and technology to the Moon as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and the Artemis program.

The mission will take off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 8 rocket, as reported by NASA.

Following its launch, the Blue Ghost lander is expected to spend around 45 days en route to the Moon, with a planned landing on the lunar surface in early March.

In addition, the lander will carry ten NASA scientific investigations aimed at enhancing our understanding of the Moon’s environment.

This mission is integral to the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration strategy, contributing to preparations for future human expeditions to the lunar surface.

Furthermore, the scientific investigations on this flight will focus on testing and demonstrating technologies for lunar subsurface drilling, regolith sample collection, global navigation satellite systems, radiation-tolerant computing, and methods for mitigating lunar dust.

The data collected will provide valuable insights into the effects of space weather and other cosmic phenomena on Earth, potentially benefiting humanity.