 Rendering ofBlue Ghost Mission 1 on the Moon | |
| Manufacturer | Firefly Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Designer | Firefly Aerospace |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Operator | Firefly Aerospace |
| Applications | Lunar payload delivery and support |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Lunar lander |
| Payload capacity | 150 kg[1] |
| Power | 650 W |
| Production | |
| Status | Active |
| On order | 3 |
| Built | 1 |
| Launched | 1 |
| Retired | 1 |
Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost, or simplyBlue Ghost, is a class oflunar landers designed and manufactured by the American companyFirefly Aerospace. Firefly builds and operates Blue Ghost landers to deliver smallpayloads to the surface of theMoon. Thefirst Blue Ghost mission was launched in January, 2025.[2][3][4][5] It successfully landed on the Moon on March 2, 2025.[6] The landers are named after the firefly speciesPhausis reticulata, known as blue ghosts.[7]
Firefly is the prime contractor for lunar delivery services using Blue Ghost landers. Firefly provides or subcontracts Blue Ghost payload integration, launch fromEarth, landing on theMoon and mission operations. Firefly'sCedar Park facility serves as the company's mission operations center and the location of payload integration. Firefly operates a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) spacecraft facility with two mission control centers and an ISO-8 cleanroom to accommodate multiple landers.[8][9]
The spacecraft design is adaptable to each customer’s cislunar needs. Blue Ghost can be customized to support larger, more complex missions, including lunar night operations, surface mobility, and sample return, and is compatible with multiple launch providers. Firefly asserts that in-house end-to-end manufacturing and testing of the Blue Ghost structure is a differentiator among the CLPS landers.[10][11]
On November 29, 2018, NASA announced that Firefly was among the companies eligible for task orders as part of theCommercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.[12] As of August 18, 2025[update] NASA has awarded Firefly task orders for four lunar landing missions.
Blue Ghost supplies data, power, and thermal resources for payload operations during transit to the Moon, in lunar orbit, and on the lunar surface. Primary propulsion is provided by aLEROS 4-ETbipropellant main engine fromNammo UK.[13] The engine usesMON andhydrazine as propellants.[14] The engine can provide more than 1,000 N of thrust, and is used for bothlunar orbit insertion and powered descent to the surface.[15] Blue Ghost’s eight Spectre thrusters are used in itsreaction control system to maintain orientation during maneuvers and to achieve a soft landing. The fourcarbon composite landing legs have contact sensors that trigger engine shutdown after landing. Solar panels provide up to 400W of electrical power. The lander has one X-band antenna and three S-band antennas for communication with Firefly's mission operations center.
On February 4, 2021, NASA awarded Firefly a CLPS task order worth US$93.3 million to deliver a suite of ten science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon.[16] On May 20, 2021, Firefly selectedFalcon 9 as the launch vehicle for the mission and on March 2, 2025, Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully landed on the Moon, atMare Crisium.[17]
The second Blue Ghost mission is scheduled for launch in 2026.[18] Both the lander and theLunar Pathfinder spacecraft will be deployed into lunar orbit by anElytra orbital transfer vehicle.[19] ThroughJPL NASA has funded a User Terminal payload on the top deck of the lander, which will be used to commission the Lunar Pathfinder satellite.[20] Firefly also intends to use this mission to deliver theRashid 2 rover to the surface.[21]
A third Blue Ghost mission is planned for 2028.[22] The mission plan includes a rover, with a landing near theMons Gruithuisen Gamma lunar dome.[23][24] Instruments from the Lunar-VISE project atUniversity of Central Florida will be included on the lander and rover.[25]
A fourth Blue Ghost mission, planned for 2029, was announced on July 29, 2025.[26] The mission plans to land on the rim ofHaworth Crater near thelunar south pole.[27] The mission will deliver two rovers and three scientific instruments to the lunar surface. One of those rovers,MoonRanger, had originally been scheduled for a mission which would have been conducted byMasten Space Systems. Another rover will come from the Canadian companyCanadensys Aerospace.[28]
In a September, 2025 filing with theSEC, Firefly reported that a "proprietary commercial customer" had selected Blue Ghost for an additional, dedicated mission.[29]
In 2017,Space Policy Directive 1 signaled the intention of returning NASA astronauts to the Moon. In 2018, NASA solicited bids from nine companies, including Firefly Aerospace, for the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. CLPS is part of the NASA Artemis program; one of the long-term goals of Artemis is establishing apermanent crewed base on the Moon.[30]
In 2021, Firefly Aerospace received a NASA contract that was valued at US$93 million to conduct lunar landings for NASA.[31]
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