A series of NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations are en route to our nearest celestial neighbor aboard a commercial spacecraft, where they will provide insight into the Moon’s environment and test technologies to help future astronauts to land safely on the lunar surface as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. .
Transporting science and technology on Firefly Aerospace’s first CLPS or Commercial Lunar Payload Services flight for NASA, Blue Ghost Mission 1 launched at 1:11 a.m. EST aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The company is targeting a moon landing on Sunday, March 2.
“This mission embodies the bold spirit of NASA’s Artemis campaign – a campaign focused on scientific exploration and discovery,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “Each flight we participate in is an essential step in a larger plan to establish a responsible and sustainable human presence on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Every scientific instrument and technology demonstration brings us closer to realizing our vision. Congratulations to the NASA, Firefly and SpaceX teams on this successful launch.
Once on the Moon, NASA will test and demonstrate lunar drilling technology, regolith (lunar rock and soil) sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system capabilities, radiation-tolerant computing and lunar dust mitigation methods. The data captured could also benefit humans on Earth by providing insight into the impact of space weather and other cosmic forces on our planet.
“NASA leads the world in space exploration, and American companies play a critical role in returning humanity to the Moon,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator in the Science Mission Directorate at the NASA headquarters in Washington. “We learned many lessons during the Apollo era that informed the technology and science demonstrations aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1 mission – ensuring the safety and health of our future science instruments, spacecraft and , more importantly, of our astronauts on the lunar surface. I’m excited to see the incredible science and technology data that Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 will provide in the days to come.
As part of NASA’s modern lunar exploration activities, CLPS deliveries to the Moon will help humanity better understand planetary processes and evolution, search for water and other resources, and support long-term sustainable human exploration of the Moon in preparation for the first human mission. towards Mars.
There are 10 NASA payloads flying on this flight:
- Lunar Instrumentation for Rapid Subsurface Thermal Exploration (LISTER) will characterize the heat flux from the Moon’s interior by measuring the thermal gradient and conductivity of the lunar subsurface. It will take multiple measurements to a final depth of approximately 10 feet using pneumatic drilling technology with a custom heat flow needle instrument at its tip. Responsible organization: Texas Tech University
- Lunar PlanetVac (LPV) is designed to collect regolith samples from the lunar surface by using a blast of compressed gas to drive the regolith into a sample chamber for collection and analysis by various instruments. Additional instruments will then transmit the results back to Earth. Responsible organization: Honeybee Robotics
- Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector (NGLR) serves as a target for lasers on Earth to precisely measure the distance between Earth and the Moon. The retroreflector that will fly on this mission could also collect data to understand various aspects of the lunar interior and address fundamental physics questions. Responsible organization: University of Maryland
- Characterization of regolith adhesion (RAC) will determine how lunar regolith adheres to a range of materials exposed to the Moon’s environment throughout the lunar day. The RAC instrument will measure accumulation rates of lunar regolith on the surfaces of several materials, including solar cells, optical systems, coatings and sensors, through imaging, to determine their ability to repel or expel lunar dust. The data captured will allow industry to test, improve and protect spacecraft, spacesuits and abrasive regolith habitats. Responsible organization: Aegis Aerospace
- Radiation Tolerant Computer (RadPC) will demonstrate a computer capable of recovering from failures caused by ionizing radiation. Several RadPC prototypes have been tested aboard the International Space Station and satellites orbiting Earth, but they will now demonstrate the computer’s ability to withstand space radiation as it passes through Earth’s radiation belts, during its transit to the Moon and on the lunar surface. Responsible organization: Montana State University
- Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) is an active dust mitigation technology that uses electric fields to move and prevent dangerous accumulation of lunar dust on surfaces. EDS technology is designed to lift, transport and remove particles from surfaces without moving parts. Multiple tests will demonstrate the feasibility of self-cleaning glass and thermal radiator surfaces on the Moon. In case the surfaces do not receive dust upon landing, EDS has the ability to remove dust using the same technology. Responsible organization: NASA Kennedy Space Center
- Heliospheric X-ray Imager for Lunar Environment (LEXI) will capture a series of X-ray images to study the interaction of the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field that causes geomagnetic disturbances and storms. Deployed and operated on the lunar surface, this instrument will provide the world’s first images showing the edge of Earth’s magnetic field for crucial insight into the impact of space weather and other cosmic forces surrounding our planet. Lead organizations: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Boston University and Johns Hopkins University
- Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) will characterize the structure and composition of the lunar mantle by measuring electric and magnetic fields. This investigation will help determine the thermal structure and thermal evolution of the Moon in order to understand how the Moon has cooled and chemically differentiated since its formation. Responsible organization: South West Research Institute
- Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) will demonstrate the possibility of acquiring and tracking signals from Global Navigation Satellite System constellations, particularly GPS and Galileo, during transit to the Moon, during lunar orbit and on the lunar surface. If successful, LuGRE will be the first future lunar spacecraft scout to use existing Earth navigation constellations to autonomously and accurately estimate their position, speed and time. Responsible organizations: NASA Goddard, Italian Space Agency
- Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume and Surface Studies (SCALPSS) will use stereo imaging photogrammetry to capture the impact of the rocket plume on lunar regolith as the lander descends to the Moon’s surface. The high-resolution stereo images will help create models to predict erosion of lunar regolith, an important task as larger and heavier payloads are sent to the Moon in close proximity to each other. This instrument also flew on Intuitive Machine’s first CLPS delivery. Responsible organization: NASA Langley Research Center
“With the launch of 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon, this is the largest delivery of CLPS to date, and we are proud of the teams who got us there,” he said. said Chris Culbert, program manager for Commercial Lunar Payload Services. initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We will follow this latest CLPS delivery with others in 2025 and subsequent years. American innovation and interest in the Moon continues to grow, and NASA has already awarded 11 CLPS deliveries and plans to continue selecting two additional flights per year.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander is expected to land near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a more than 300-mile-wide basin located in the northeast quadrant of the near side of the Moon. NASA’s science work on this flight will gather valuable scientific data about Earth’s nearest neighbor and help pave the way for the first Artemis astronauts to explore the lunar surface later this decade.
Learn more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:
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Amber Jacobson / Karen Fox
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov / karen.c.fox@nasa.gov
Natalia Riusech / Nilufar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
natailla.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov
Antonia Jaramillo
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-501-8425
antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov