The spacecraft autonomously descended from lunar orbit, targeting the rugged slopes of an ancient volcanic dome within an impact basin on the moon’s northeastern near side.
The touchdown was confirmed by Firefly’s Mission Control in Cedar Park, Texas, which monitored the event from 225,000 miles (360,000 kilometres) away.
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“We’re on the moon,” Mission Control announced, confirming that the lander was “stable.”
The successful landing cements Firefly Aerospace’s place in history, making it the first private company to land a spacecraft on the moon without a crash or tipping over.
Even national space agencies have struggled with lunar landings, with only five countries—Russia, the US, China, India, and Japan—having achieved success.
Blue Ghost’s arrival is just the beginning, as two other private landers are expected to follow closely behind, signaling a new era of commercial lunar activity ahead of upcoming astronaut missions.
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