Video Transcript
It takes a lot of planning to ferry a payload to the Moon, but some of the most important details take place beforehand, in the careful selection of the most critical items necessary to carry out the objectives of the mission.
According to Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator, “Each scientific instrument and technology demonstration brings us closer to realizing our vision” and the agency recently revealed some details regarding its latest launch: Blue Ghost Mission 1.
The mission—Firefly Aerospace’s first commercial lunar payload services flight—was launched in mid-January aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
When it lands on the Moon, on the targeted date of March 2, one of NASA’s goals will be to demonstrate technologies like lunar drilling and collect samples of soil and rocks. Another objective is to test global navigation satellites as well as the ability of computing technology to withstand high levels of radiation.
NASA says the data it retrieves could also offer insights for humans earthside, including into how weather and other forces in space could impact the planet.
NASA leaders say this is the largest CLPS delivery to date, but they’re nowhere near done.
CLPS program manager at Johnson Space Center Chris Culbert said there would be more deliveries yet in 2025 and in later years as “American innovation and interest to the Moon continues to grow.”
Blue Ghost is set to land near a volcanic feature, and its surface exploration here should help pave the way for humans to explore the lunar surface as part of the Artemis astronaut mission later this decade.
