In a remarkable demonstration of its surveillance capabilities, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has successfully captured an image of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander on the Moon’s surface.

As expected, capturing a clear image of the lander proved to be a challenging task, given its elusive nature. After a 45-day journey, the Blue Ghost lander touched down on the Moon’s surface in the early hours of Sunday morning. The landing occurred in Mare Crisium, a crater formed by an ancient asteroid impact, which translates to “Sea of Crises” in Latin. Furthermore, remarkable footage from the Blue Ghost itself was released yesterday, showcasing the lunar surface in vivid detail.

The image was taken by the LRO’s Narrow Angle Cameras on March 2, 2025, when the orbiter was approximately 109 miles (175 kilometers) east of the Blue Ghost landing site.

Those anticipating a high-resolution image of the lander may be disappointed, as the LRO image was captured from lunar orbit, making the lander appear as a single pixel. However, upon closer inspection, the Blue Ghost can be seen as a white speck casting a shadow within the box. Additionally, the base of Mons Latreille, a lunar mountain in Mare Crisium, is visible in the lower left corner of the full image.

The Blue Ghost lander’s mission, dubbed Ghost Riders in the Sky, includes 10 NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) demonstration instruments. For updates on the lander’s first mission, visit the Firefly website.

Following its successful landing, the Blue Ghost has initiated payload deployment, sampled lunar rock (regolith), and captured additional surface photos. Over the next two weeks, equivalent to a lunar day, it will analyze the Moon’s surface using NASA instruments, providing valuable insights for future human missions to the Moon.