Los Angeles [California], January 15: NASA is preparing to send ten science instruments aboard American private aerospace firm Firefly Aerospace's first delivery to the moon, the agency said on Tuesday.
Firefly's lunar lander, named Blue Ghost, is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
After a 45-day cruise phase, Blue Ghost is targeted to land near a volcanic feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium, a basin approximately 550 kilometers wide located in the northeast quadrant of the moon's near side.
Science investigations on this mission aim to test and demonstrate lunar subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods. The data captured could benefit humans on Earth by providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces impact Earth.
The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign.
Through the CLPS initiative, NASA purchases lunar landing and surface operations services from American companies. The agency uses CLPS to send scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to advance capabilities for science, exploration, or commercial development of the moon.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
