With a set of NASA science and know-how on board, Firefly Aerospace is concentrating on no sooner than 3:45 a.m. EST on Sunday, March 2, to land the Blue Ghost lunar lander on the Moon. Blue Ghost is slated to the touch down close to Mare Crisium, a plain within the northeast quadrant on the close to aspect of the Moon, as a part of NASA’s CLPS (Industrial Lunar Payload Companies) initiative and Artemis marketing campaign to determine a long-term lunar presence.
Reside protection of the touchdown, collectively hosted by NASA and Firefly, will air on NASA+ beginning at 2:30 a.m. EST, roughly 75 minutes earlier than landing on the Moon’s floor. Discover ways to watch NASA content by way of quite a lot of platforms, together with social media. The published will even stream on Firefly’s YouTube channel. Protection will embody reside streaming and weblog updates because the descent milestones happen.
Accredited media inquisitive about attending the in-person touchdown occasion hosted by Firefly within the Austin, Texas, space might request media credentials by way of this type by Monday, Feb. 24.
Following the touchdown, NASA and Firefly will host a information convention to debate the mission and science alternatives that lie forward as they start lunar floor operations. The time of the briefing will probably be shared after landing.
Blue Ghost launched Jan. 15, at 1:11 a.m. EST on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Advanced 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle in Florida. The lander is carrying a set of 10 NASA scientific investigations and know-how demonstrations, which is able to present insights into the Moon’s setting and check applied sciences to assist future astronauts touchdown safely on the lunar floor, in addition to Mars.
NASA continues to work with a number of American firms to ship science and know-how to the lunar floor by way of the company’s CLPS initiative. This pool of firms might bid on contracts for end-to-end lunar supply companies, together with payload integration and operations, launching from Earth, and touchdown on the floor of the Moon. NASA’s CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a cumulative most worth of $2.6 billion by way of 2028. In February 2021, the company awarded Firefly this supply of 10 NASA science investigations and know-how demonstrations to the Moon utilizing its American-designed and -manufactured lunar lander for roughly $93.3 million (modified to $101.5 million).
By means of the Artemis marketing campaign, industrial robotic deliveries will carry out science experiments, check applied sciences, and display capabilities on and across the Moon to assist NASA discover prematurely of Artemis Era astronaut missions to the lunar floor, and finally crewed missions to Mars.
Watch, interact on social media
Let folks know you’re following the mission on X, Fb, and Instagram by utilizing the hashtag #Artemis. It’s also possible to keep related by following and tagging these accounts:
X: @NASA, @NASA_Johnson, @NASAArtemis, @NASAMoon
Fb: NASA, NASAJohnsonSpaceCenter, NASAArtemis
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAJohnson, @NASAArtemis
For extra details about the company’s Industrial Lunar Payload Companies initiative:
-end-
Karen Fox / Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov
Natalia Riusech / Nilufar Ramji
Johnson Area Middle, Houston
281-483-5111
natalia.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov
