Lunar Mission Achieved: Private US Company Lands Spacecraft Upright
A US company successfully landed its spacecraft on the Moon on Sunday, marking only the second private mission to achieve the milestone -- and the first to do so upright. Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 touched down at 3:34 am US Eastern Time near Mons Latreille, a volcanic formation in Mare Crisium on the Moon's northeastern near side. The precision of the landing was highlighted by the spacecraft touching down within 100 meters of its target.
- This remarkable achievement demonstrates the capabilities of private space companies to push the boundaries of space exploration and lunar landings, potentially paving the way for more ambitious missions in the future.
- What implications will this milestone have on NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by 2028, and how will it affect the balance of power between public and private space agencies?