The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) is acting as a key partner in Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 to the Moon. Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander launched on January 15 onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
“As the only satellite ground station network supplier, we provide all the antennas required to track and communicate with the lander throughout the mission,” said the SSC’s Nick Priborsky. “We will be using our satellite ground stations in Santiago, Hawaii, and Australia, complemented by two partner stations.”
Firefly’s first Blue Ghost mission, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, will deliver 10 science and technology instruments to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
“SSC has a reliable, proven, global network of commercial ground stations providing the pass coverage and communications performance required for Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1,” said Firefly’s Will Coogan. “SSC’s critical spacecraft tracking and communications services will support Blue Ghost’s navigation to the lunar surface, where we will then collect high-priority science data for transmission back to Earth.”
Firefly’s Blue Ghost will spend approximately 45 days in transit to the Moon before landing in Mare Crisium and operating payloads for a complete lunar day (approximately 14 Earth days). Following payload operations, Blue Ghost will capture imagery of the lunar sunset and provide data on how lunar sand reacts to solar influences during dusk conditions.
The payloads on Blue Ghost will help advance lunar research and conduct several first-of-its-kind demonstrations, including testing regolith sample collection, long-distance global navigation satellite system capabilities, radiation-tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation. The data captured will also provide insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces impact Earth.
