Firefly Aerospace Shipped Blue Ghost for Environmental Testing Ahead of Mission to the Moon

Integrated with 10 NASA-sponsored payloads, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander is now at NASA JPL for final testing before launching in Q4 2024 Credit: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace, an end-to-end space transportation company, announced Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander has arrived at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for environmental testing before the lander ships to Cape Canaveral for a Q4 2024 launch. As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander is integrated with 10 scientific instruments and technology demonstrations that will help pave the way for humanity’s return to the Moon.

“Firefly is proud to follow in the footsteps of the Surveyor landers that were tested in the same JPL facilities,” said Peter Schumacher, Interim CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “The extensive environmental testing we’ll complete at JPL combined with the robust testing we’ve already completed in house will further reduce our risk posture and set us up for a successful, soft landing.”

The environmental testing at JPL includes vibration, acoustic, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing to ensure the integrated lander can withstand various flight environments during launch, transit, and landing on the Moon. This testing follows Firefly’s robust testing campaign, including extensive qualification testing on the assembled Blue Ghost structure and each component.

Firefly also completed nearly 100 lander leg drop tests on multiple surfaces, including sand, lunar simulant, and concrete, to ensure Blue Ghost’s shock-absorbing footpads can withstand the unpredictable nature of the lunar surface. The team further built a one-acre moonscape at its Rocket Ranch to test the hazard avoidance and terrain-relative navigation system on a heavy-lift drone, ensuring the system can identify the safest landing site in the final moments of descent.

“This incredible Firefly team implemented innovative testing approaches that are setting a new standard in the industry,” said Jana Spruce, Vice President of Spacecraft at Firefly Aerospace. “After all the hard work, it’s bittersweet to see Blue Ghost leave our Texas-based facility, but we’re more than ready for this final test. We’ll have a dedicated team of Fireflies with the lander every step of the way as Blue Ghost travels from Texas to California to Florida ahead of this historic journey to the Moon.”

Following final testing, Firefly’s Blue Ghost will ship to Cape Canaveral, Florida, ahead of its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for Q4 2024. Blue Ghost will then begin its transit to the Moon, including approximately a month in Earth orbit and two weeks in lunar orbit. This approach provides ample time to conduct robust health checks on each subsystem and begin payload operations during transit.

Blue Ghost will then land in Mare Crisium, a basin in the northeast quadrant on the Moon’s near side, before deploying and operating 10 instruments for a lunar day (14 Earth days) and more than 5 hours into the lunar night.