SpaceX will launch an important scientific mission to the Moon on January 15 with its special lunar vehicle named Blue Ghost. The mission will carry NASA-supported experiments.
SpaceXis preparing to launch the special lunar vehicle named Blue Ghost, developed by Firefly Aerospace, on January 15, 2025. Within the scope of the mission, 10 scientific experiments and technology devices included in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program will be transported to the Moon surface. The takeoff, which will be carried out with the Falcon 9 rocket, will be made from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Details of SpaceX and Blue Ghost Mission
Blue Ghost will remain in Earth orbit for 25 days before reaching the Moon and will then enter the Moon with engine ignition. After landing on the lunar surface, it will land on a large basaltic plain known as Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis). After landing, the vehicle will operate on solar energy for a period of 14 days, sending high-resolution images. At the end of this period, the vehicle will lose its power source when the lunar night begins.
LEXI (Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager), one of the experiments carried within the scope of the mission, will examine the Earth’s magnetic field and the effects of the solar wind. Another device, SCALPSS, will observe the impact of Blue Ghost’s engines on the lunar surface during descent. In addition, different experiments will be on board to examine the properties of lunar dust (regolith), measure radiation levels and analyze the electrical conductivity of the internal structure of the lunar surface.
Blue Ghost will be the second special mission sent to the Moon under NASA’s CLPS program. The mission aims to add a new dimension to scientific research on the lunar surface. This launch, carried out by SpaceX with its Falcon 9 rocket, once again reveals the increasing role of the private sector in space research.
If Blue Ghost makes a successful landing, it is expected that more such missions will reach the Moon from the private sector. This joint work of SpaceX and Firefly Aerospace will set an important example for future Moon missions.