![\"Firefly](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250112-stl0386-.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>As part of NASA\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services<\/a>) initiative and Artemis campaign, the agency is preparing to fly ten instruments aboard Firefly Aerospace\u2019s first delivery to the Moon. These science payloads and technology demonstrations will help advance our understanding of the Moon and planetary processes, while paving the way for future crewed missions on the Moon and beyond, for the benefit of all.<\/p>\n Firefly\u2019s lunar lander, named Blue Ghost, is scheduled to launch<\/a> on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday, Jan.15, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s 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 340 miles wide (550 kilometers) located in the northeast quadrant of the Moon\u2019s near side.<\/p>\n How can we enable more precise navigation on the Moon? How do spacecraft interact with the lunar surface? How does Earth\u2019s magnetic field influence the effects of space weather on our home planet? NASA\u2019s instruments on this flight will conduct first-of-their-kind demonstrations to help answer these questions and more, including testing regolith sampling technologies, lunar subsurface drilling capabilities, increasing precision of positioning and navigation abilities, testing radiation tolerant computing, and learning how to mitigate lunar dust during lunar landings.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The\u00a0ten NASA payloads\u00a0aboard Firefly\u2019s Blue Ghost lander include:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 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. By supporting a robust cadence of lunar deliveries, NASA will continue to enable a growing lunar economy while leveraging the entrepreneurial innovation of the commercial space industry. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at: http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/clps<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n \n Alise Fisher Natalia Riusech \/ Nilufar Ramji \u00a0 Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> As part of NASA\u2019s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, the agency is preparing to fly ten instruments aboard Firefly Aerospace\u2019s first delivery to the Moon. These science payloads and technology demonstrations will help advance our understanding of the Moon and planetary processes, while paving the way for future crewed missions on [\u2026] Continue reading \n
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Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Johnson Space Center, Houston\u00a0
281-483-5111\u00a0
natalia.s.riusech@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNatalia Riusech <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"