Firefly Aerospace achieved a historic milestone by successfully landing its Blue Ghost lunar lander on the moon, making it the first private company to do so without failure. The touchdown, confirmed by Mission Control in Texas, follows an autonomous descent to the lunar surface. The Blue Ghost is designed for stability and carried 10 NASA experiments with a mission cost of $101 million for delivery plus $44 million for onboard science. This achievement comes as space exploration continues to expand with upcoming missions from other private companies.
Confirmation of successful touchdown came from the company's Mission Control outside Austin, Texas, after the Blue Ghost lander descended from lunar orbit on autopilot.
An upright and stable landing makes Firefly a startup founded a decade ago the first private outfit to put a spacecraft on the moon without crashing or falling over.
The lander carried 10 experiments to the moon for NASA, with the space agency paying $101 million for the delivery, plus $44 million for the science and tech on board.
Two other companies' landers are hot on Blue Ghost's heels, with the next one expected to join it on the moon later this week.
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