A private spacecraft from the U.S. is en route to the moon and has already provided breathtaking views of Earth just a week after its launch.
Currently in orbit around Earth, Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander, named Blue Ghost, executed a thruster burn on Thursday to set it on a trajectory for a lunar arrival in over a month. The Texas-based company shared stunning images and video capturing our planet, often referred to as the Blue Marble, on Friday.
Blue Ghost is equipped with various experiments for NASA, contributing to the agency’s initiative to send astronauts back to the moon within this decade.
This mission marks the first lunar endeavor for Firefly, while the other lunar lander launched alongside it by SpaceX on January 15 is sponsored by the Japanese company ispace. That lander is taking a more extended route, aiming for a landing in late May or early June. Notably, ispace’s first lander experienced a crash during its 2023 mission. Currently, ispace’s new lander, named Resilience, is still in Earth orbit, preparing for its approach to the moon.
