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Blue Ghost Mission 1: Live Updates [1]

['Risa Schnautz']

Date: 2025-01-15 16:25:00+00:00

From liftoff to landing, Firefly will provide regular mission updates all along the way to the Moon. Visit Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 webpage for more mission details and Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 Flickr album for imagery and b-roll.

EARTH ORBIT OPERATIONS

January 16, 2025: LuGRE Science Operations

All NASA payloads remain healthy. Six NASA payloads onboard Blue Ghost, including RadPC, SCALPSS, LPV, LISTER, LuGRE, and EDS are already sending initial data back to Earth. LuGRE science operations have also begun. Developed by the Italian Space Agency, LuGRE is tracking signals from GPS and Galileo satellites during our Earth to Moon transit to test signal acquisition and usage along the way.

January 15, 2025: First On-Orbit Image

Firefly’s Blue Ghost captured its first image from space! The top deck of the lander is visible with the X-band antenna and NASA’s LEXI payload.

Image credit: Firefly Aerospace

January 15, 2025: On-Orbit Payload Science Begins

The Firefly team completed initial NASA payload checkouts and powered on Montana State University’s RadPC to begin measuring the radiation and fault tolerant computing system. This is the first of many payload data sets Blue Ghost will capture on Firefly’s journey to the Moon.

ON-ORBIT COMMISSIONING

January 15, 2025: On-Orbit Spacecraft Commissioning Complete

On-orbit spacecraft commissioning was completed by 5:30 a.m. EST, which included verifying attitude determination and control capabilities, increasing the data transfer rate, establishing a power-positive attitude, and completing initial lander health checks. Read the press release for more details.

January 15, 2025: Acquistion of Signal

Firefly’s Mission Operations Center in Cedar Park, Texas, acquired signal from the Blue Ghost lunar lander at 2:26 a.m. EST. The team will now begin initial Blue Ghost health checks as part of on-orbit commissioning.

LAUNCH OPERATIONS

January 15, 2025: Launch Vehicle Separation

Blue Ghost was deployed in a highly elliptical Earth orbit at 2:17 a.m. EST. The Firefly team expects to acquire signal to the lander within the next 30 minutes.

Image credit: SpaceX

January 15, 2025: Liftoff

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center launch complex 39A at 1:11 am EST, and Blue Ghost is on its way to orbit!

Image credit: Trevor Mahlmann

PRE-LAUNCH OPERATIONS

January 14, 2025: Rocket Mating & Rollout

The encapsulated fairing has been mated to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and transported to the launch pad ahead of liftoff scheduled for 1:11 am EST on January 15.

January 10, 2025: Fairing Encapsulation

Blue Ghost was safely encapsulated in the Falcon 9 fairing.

Image credit: SpaceX

January 9, 2025: Falcon 9 Integration

All Remove Before Flight tags are off Blue Ghost, and the lander is now securely integrated on the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload attach fitting.

Image credit: SpaceX

January 8, 2025: Blue Ghost Fueling Complete

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander was loaded up with an MMH hypergolic propellant and MON-3 oxidizer to power the thrusters and main engine during transit from Earth to Moon.

December 23, 2024: Blue Ghost Battery Charging Complete

All four batteries on Blue Ghost are now fully charged. Firefly will utilize these batteries as needed throughout the mission when sunlight is limited, such as in the lunar morning and lunar night.

December 16, 2024: Blue Ghost Arrives at KSC

Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on December 16. The Firefly team is now working through the pre-launch operations, including final inspections, functional checkouts, battery charging, propellant loading, and integration on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

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[1] Url: http://www.fireflyspace.com/news/blue-ghost-mission-1-live-updates/

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