Blue Ghost lunar mission: NASA craft to record data on Moon’s surface as touchdown looms
The great era of US space travel and the Apollo astronauts may feel light years away today but one NASA mission is set on recapturing the glory days.
The latest stunning footage from the Blue Ghost lander has taken viewers back to the wonder of the 1970s as it captured a spectacular close-up of the dark side of the Moon.
An incredible patchwork of craters was filmed by the unmanned lander, which left Earth on January 15, as it travelled 120km above the lunar surface.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The Blue Ghost was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
On board are ten NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations as part of a commercial payload project. This includes instruments to record data on the surface, as well as experimental GPS tracking systems.
Over a weeks-long journey, the lander travelled roughly 384,000km and entered lunar orbit on February 13, where it is scheduled to wait for 16 days.
While circling the Moon, it has been completing a series of engine burns to bring it into a significantly lower elliptical orbit, including one which was completed on February 18 and lasted just over three minutes.
Space fans on social media were wowed by the footage, with one user writing: “What a cool time to be alive! The Moon up close once again!”
Having now circumnavigated the Moon three times, the lander’s operator Firefly Aerospace is making final preparations before a touchdown on March 2.
