Firefly Aerospace has become the second U.S. company to achieve a soft moon landing with its debut Blue Ghost lander, marking a significant milestone in the private space sector.
The uncrewed spacecraft touched down on the lunar surface at 3:35 a.m. ET near an ancient volcanic vent on Mare Crisium, a prominent basin on the moon's Earth-facing side.
The Blue Ghost lander, roughly the size of a compact car and equipped with four legs for stability, carried 10 scientific payloads as part of a two-week research mission. Flight controllers at Firefly’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, confirmed via live stream that the lander had successfully entered lunar gravity, with a company official exclaiming, “We’re on the moon.”
Launched a month and a half ago atop a SpaceX rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Blue Ghost descended toward the lunar surface at a measured pace of about two miles per hour. The spacecraft’s precise descent and gentle landing underscore Firefly’s growing capabilities in the competitive arena of lunar exploration.
Firefly Aerospace now joins a select group of private companies in achieving a soft landing on the moon. Last year, Houston-based Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander made a lopsided touchdown, while only five nations – the former Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan – have historically accomplished such landings.
As Blue Ghost begins its research mission, Firefly’s achievement is seen as a step forward in the global race to explore and utilize the moon, opening up new opportunities for scientific discovery and commercial ventures in space.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket experienced an explosive failure minutes after liftoff on Thursday, with debris raining over parts of the Caribbean and prompting temporary air traffic halts in parts of Florida.
Intuitive Machines' Athena lander has reached the moon, but its status remains unclear after a tense landing, marking the company's second lunar attempt.
Italy’s parliament has rejected opposition amendments aimed at restricting the government from acquiring satellite services from companies outside the European Union.
esearchers from Istanbul University and Akdeniz University have uncovered surprising details about the CN Lyn star system that defy established models of star formation.
In a move that could significantly disrupt the burgeoning U.S. space industry, the Trump administration has fired roughly one-third of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 25-person Office of Space Commerce.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria’s deadliest clashes since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, according to war observer.
European nations have endorsed a $53 billion Arab-backed plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents, rejecting a rival proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Poland plans mandatory military training for men to build a 500,000-strong army amid security threats.
Norway’s government has affirmed that it will continue to supply fuel for U.S. Navy vessels, dismissing recent calls from a private marine fuel supplier to halt deliveries amid tensions linked to U.S.-Ukrainian relations.
President Donald Trump is preparing a new travel ban that could block entry for people from Afghanistan and Pakistan as early as next week. The move is part of an intensified immigration crackdown.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, will chair the 20th EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting hosted this year by Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat, on 4 March.
Heavy rainfall in northwestern Peru has caused a river to overflow, destroying infrastructure, flooding agricultural lands, and affecting at least 150 families in Tumbes province.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering a ban on the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from U.S. government devices over national-security concerns, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Elon Musk-owned artificial intelligence firm xai has acquired a 1-million-square-foot property in southwest Memphis, the Greater Memphis Chamber reported on Friday.
The Federal Reserve is likely to begin cutting interest rates in June, following a mixed jobs report that highlights both robust job growth and emerging signs of labor market weakness.
The U.S. Department of Defense is overhauling its software acquisition strategy to open the door wider to commercial and nontraditional software providers.
Italy’s League party urges the government to favour Starlink over French-led Eutelsat for satellite communication systems, citing Starlink's technological edge. The push comes amid delays in the EU’s IRIS² program, as Italy seeks secure communication solutions for officials.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria’s deadliest clashes since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, according to war observer.
European nations have endorsed a $53 billion Arab-backed plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents, rejecting a rival proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Poland plans mandatory military training for men to build a 500,000-strong army amid security threats.
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