NASA Science Data Received, Blue Ghost Captures Eclipse From Moon

Following a successful landing on March 2, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 has been operating on the lunar surface for nearly two weeks. As part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander delivered 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Mare Crisium basin on the near side of the Moon. All NASA payloads have successfully powered on, collected science data, and operated on the surface of the Moon. Early Friday morning, Blue Ghost captured images of the lunar eclipse from the Moon.  

Other NASA science highlights include: 

• The Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) acquired and tracked Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, from satellite networks such as GPS and Galileo, in transit and on the surface of the Moon. This is the first time a navigation solution has been achieved using GNSS signals in lunar orbit and on the Moon. 

• The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) captured a series of X-ray images to study the interaction of the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field, providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces surrounding Earth affect the planet. 

• The Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector (NGLR) successfully reflected and returned laser light from two Lunar Laser Ranging Observatories, returning measurements that allow scientists to precisely measure the Moon’s shape and distance from Earth, expanding our understanding of the Moon’s inner structure. 

• The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) was activated and successfully deployed five sensors to study the Moon’s interior by measuring electric and magnetic fields. The LMS instrument will allow scientists to characterize the interior of the Moon to depths up to 700 miles or more than halfway to the center of the Moon.  

• The Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity (LISTER) is now the deepest robotic planetary subsurface thermal probe, reaching up to 3 feet (1 meter). Providing a first-of-its kind demonstration of robotic thermal measurements at varying depths, LISTER uses gas as the primary means of excavating (without conventional rotary or percussive drilling elements), as well as a coiled metal tube that straightens out and bores down in the hole created by the compressed gas. 

• The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) instrument captured more than 3,000 images during the spacecraft’s lunar descent and touchdown on the Moon, providing insights into the effects engine plumes have on the surface. The SCALPSS payload also took hourly images the first couple of days after landing and was able to observe the shadows moving over the surface, which provided some additional data regarding the areas previously in shadow.  

• Lunar PlanetVac (LPV) was deployed on Blue Ghost’s surface access arm and successfully collected, transferred, and sorted lunar soil from the Moon using pressurized nitrogen gas, demonstrating a low-cost, low-mass solution for future robotic sample collection.  

• The Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) successfully lifted and removed lunar regolith using electrodynamic forces on the glass and thermal radiator surfaces. These results demonstrate that EDS is a promising solution for dust mitigation on future lunar and interplanetary surface operations. 

• The Regolith Adherence Characterization (RAC) instrument examined how lunar regolith sticks to a range of materials exposed to the Moon’s environment, allowing the industry to better test, improve, and protect spacecraft, spacesuits, and habitats from abrasive lunar dust or regolith. 

• The Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) successfully operated in transit, including through the Earth’s Van Allen Belts, and on the lunar surface, verifying solutions to mitigate radiation effects on computers that could make future missions safer and more cost effective.  

Follow along on NASA’s Artemis Blog and on Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission page for additional updates.