Blue Ghost mission unveils lunar mysteries with sunset on the moon
Thanks to pioneering materials from the private lander Blue Ghost, scientists may soon be able to explain the "horizon glow" phenomenon and the mechanism of "dust levitation" on the surface of the Moon. The spacecraft has completed its mission and transmitted approximately 119 GB of data back to Earth.
The historic return of humans to the Moon is drawing nearer. NASA continues its scientific research following the successful completion of Firefly Aerospace's first lunar mission. The private lander Blue Ghost, owned by Firefly Aerospace in the USA, captured breathtaking high-definition images of the sunset on the Moon at the conclusion of its two-month mission. NASA hopes these images will help solve the mystery of the "haze" first observed on the Moon in the 1960s.
The end of Blue Ghost's adventures on the Moon
The private lander Blue Ghost, although it left Earth on January 15, remained on the Lunar surface from March 2 to March 16, deploying 10 NASA scientific and technological instruments in the Mare Crisium basin on the northeastern near side of the Moon. Firefly Aerospace earned the distinction of being the first private company to land a robotic spacecraft vertically on the Moon.
During its mission, Blue Ghost captured several images and videos, including shots of Earth, a total solar eclipse on March 14, and the sunset from the lunar surface. The mission lasted approximately 14 days, equating to one lunar day, and concluded a few hours into the lunar night. The data collected by Blue Ghost will aid in preparing planned human missions. Its mission officially ended on March 16 when it powered down with the onset of the lunar night. The sunset images from the Moon were published on March 17.
Besides the Sun, Venus was also clearly visible
The new sunset images shared by Firefly on X show the Sun just above the horizon, with a green glow. Above, a small dot that is Venus is visible, while Earth's bright reflection appears almost as large as the Sun at the top of the frame. Another view depicts the setting Sun surrounded by a green glow, captured by a camera facing west.
Joel Kearns, Deputy Administrator for Exploration in NASA's Science Mission Directorate, explained that scientific specialists are meticulously analyzing all images. One objective is to identify the "horizon glow" phenomenon or the mechanism known as "dust levitation".
Lunar dust particles are lifted by radiation
Scientists suspect that lunar dust particles may become electrified due to the Sun's ultraviolet radiation, causing them to levitate above the surface. This phenomenon was initially noticed by NASA's Surveyor probes in the 1960s and was later observed by Apollo mission astronauts.
Kearns mentioned that scientists will compare images with additional readings from Blue Ghost's instruments, including electromagnetic field and radiation sensors, to refine existing theories. He added that the level of detail in the images taken by the private lander could help scientists improve models of light scattering on the Moon's surface.
NASA has already begun analyzing 119 GB of data from the Moon
All 10 NASA payloads were successfully activated, collected data, and conducted operations on the Moon. During the mission, Blue Ghost transmitted approximately 119 gigabytes of data to Earth, which included 51 gigabytes of scientific and technological data. Additionally, all payloads had the capability to conduct research and collect data for analysis, including during the eclipse and sunset on the Moon.
Nicky Fox from NASA's Science Mission Directorate emphasized in a statement that the Blue Ghost Mission 1 was the longest commercial mission on the Moon's surface to date, collecting extraordinary scientific data that will serve humanity for decades.
Joel Kearns of NASA noted that operating on the Moon is complex, and carrying 10 payloads, a record for this commercial delivery initiative, enhances the mission's impressiveness. Teams are eagerly diving into the data and are very excited about the anticipated scientific discoveries.
More Blue Ghost missions are on the way
Ray Allensworth, Space Flight Program Director at Firefly Aerospace, reported that the company is already applying the acquired experience to future flights, including Blue Ghost-2 and Blue Ghost-3. He added that the Blue Ghost-1 lander, having completed its mission, wasn't designed to withstand the extreme cold of the lunar night, making the likelihood of a restart very low.
The mission was part of NASA's collaboration with industry to reduce costs and support the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon and use the lessons learned there for journeys to Mars.
