Imponerende : det private firma Firefly Aerospace har succesfuldt landet en sonde på månen

Artiklen skriver at det er anden gang et privat firma er lykkedes med sådan en bedrift. Jeg kan ikke huske nr 1 ? Og det i en tid, hvor NASA skal gøre det samme – siden 1972 …

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American Spacecraft Touches Down on Moon, Sends Back Photos

Texas-based space company Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander has become the second private spacecraft in history to softly touch down on the Moon’s surface.

In fact, the company claimed in an announcement that it was the first to “successfully” do so, effectively arguing that Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander failed when it toppled over during its attempt last year (Odysseus failed to reestablish connection with the Earth a month after landing on the Moon).

Rise and shine! Firefly’s #BlueGhost lander captured its first sunrise on the Moon, marking the beginning of the lunar day and the start of surface operations in its new home. Our #GhostRiders have already begun operating many of the 10 @NASA payloads aboard the lander and will… pic.twitter.com/YI9nuFZfmk

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 3, 2025

Firefly’s car-sized lander touched down within its target landing zone in the Mare Crisium, a massive basin on the Moon’s near side.

It’s since sent back several photographs, showing it settled on the rocky surface with the Earth glinting in the distance. One image even shows its own shadow as the Sun slowly rises.

It’s yet another sign that the Moon’s surface is back within reach over half a century after NASA’s Apollo program launched its final mission — and building buzz around the space agency’s first crewed lunar mission since then, which is still tentatively scheduled for mid-2027.

Blue Ghost’s shadow seen on the Moon’s surface! We’ll continue to share images and updates throughout our surface operations. #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/iP7fWOSths

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 2, 2025

Blue Ghost will spend the next lunar day — the equivalent of 14 Earth days — studying the lunar environment on behalf of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

On March 14, it’ll take high-definition images of the Earth eclipsing the Sun from its perspective. On Earth, onlookers will be able to observe a total lunar eclipse, which will turn the Moon a deep red.

“With the hardest part behind us, Firefly looks forward to completing more than 14 days of surface operations, again raising the bar for commercial cislunar capabilities,” said Firefly CTO Shea Ferring in a statement.

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Det er imponerende, hvad private firmaer kan gøre med i forhold til mastodonter som NASA for en brøkdel af prisen. Det har Elon Musk med SpaceX og Bezos allerede vist