Upcoming Lunar Landing Attempt
A private lunar lander, Blue Ghost, developed by Firefly Aerospace, is preparing for its crucial landing on the Moon. After spending 44 days in space, the lander is scheduled to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface on Sunday.

Livestreaming the Landing
Firefly Aerospace will be livestreaming the landing attempt on its official YouTube page. The livestream is set to begin at 2:20 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 2, approximately 75 minutes before Blue Ghost is expected to touch down at 3:34 a.m. ET. The landing can also be viewed on the livefeed provided below.

Journey to the Moon
Blue Ghost took a leisurely route to the Moon, orbiting Earth for 25 days before entering a 16-day lunar orbit. The lander will now begin its hour-long descent to the Mare Crisium region, a basin formed by an asteroid collision. The descent will be aided by onboard vision-based tools designed to avoid hazards such as craters, rocks, and slopes.

Landing and Surface Operations
Once a suitable landing spot is identified, Blue Ghost will use its engines to slow down and then fire its landing thrusters to control its descent. If everything goes smoothly, the lander will begin its scheduled 16 days of surface operations, utilizing its 10 scientific instruments to study the Moon’s heat flow, inner structure, and the effects of solar winds and Earth’s magnetic field on the lunar surface.

Scientific Mission
The mission is a key part of humanity’s return to the Moon and features tests of technology that could be integral to NASA’s Artemis program. The lander will provide valuable data on the lunar surface and its environment.

Capturing Cosmic Phenomena
As the mission comes to an end, Blue Ghost’s cameras are expected to capture spectacular cosmic phenomena, including a total eclipse on March 14 and a lunar sunset on March 16. The lunar sunset is a rare event, with a full day-night cycle on the Moon lasting about 29.5 Earth days. The sunset will also showcase the lunar horizon glow, caused by dust in the lunar atmosphere and electrically charged particles.

Record-Breaking Mission
Blue Ghost has already made history as one of three landers heading to the Moon at the same time. The same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that carried Blue Ghost also launched Japanese company ispace’s Resilience, which took a slower route and will attempt to land in April. Intuitive Machine’s Athena is the third lunar-bound craft, which launched on February 26 and is scheduled to attempt its landing on March 6.

The Significance of the Mission
While this mission may not have the same human drama as Apollo 11, it is still a remarkable achievement, with landers being sent hundreds of thousands of miles into space to gently set down on the lunar surface. The mission demonstrates human capability and ingenuity in the pursuit of scientific discovery.