Two recently launched private lunar landers have significant journeys ahead.
On Tuesday morning (Jan. 15), a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Blue Ghost and Resilience — lunar landers manufactured by Firefly Aerospace and the Tokyo-based firm ispace, respectively — into the vast expanse from Florida’s Space Coast.
However, neither spacecraft is currently on the way to the moon. Here’s an overview of their upcoming activities in the weeks to come.
The Ghost Riders in the Sky mission will last for 60 Earth days from launch until its anticipated power loss following sunset on the lunar surface. (Image credit: Firefly Aerospace)
Blue Ghost is set to spend the next 25 days in Earth’s orbit, performing various system checks and collecting data using some of its 10 scientific and technological instruments — NASA equipment that secured their slots on board through the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
