SpaceX has launched two private lunar landers, Blue Ghost by Firefly Aerospace and Resilience by Japan’s ispace, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
About Blue Ghost
- Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
- This initiative supports NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. Blue Ghost will carry 10 scientific payloads, including:
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- A vacuum device for lunar soil collection.
- A drill to measure subsurface temperatures.
- A device to prevent lunar dust from damaging equipment.
About Resilience
- The second payload, Resilience, is developed by Japan’s ispace.
- Resilience will carry six scientific payloads and a small rover capable of collecting lunar soil samples.
- It targets a landing at Mare Frigoris, further north on the Moon’s near side.
