Firefly prepares to ship Blue Ghost to the launch site. Photo: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace completed environmental testing on its Blue Ghost lunar lander and is now preparing to ship the lander to Cape Canaveral for launch in January. It will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and has a six-day launch window opening no earlier than mid-January 2025, Firefly announced Monday. 

Blue Ghost completed environmental testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in mid-October to replicate the extreme temperatures the lander will face on the Moon. 

Blue Ghost is Firefly’s lunar lander vehicle, designed to deliver and host payloads anywhere on the lunar surface. This will be the first Blue Ghost mission, named Ghost Riders in the Sky. The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, and NASA awarded Firefly the $93.3 million contract for the mission in 2021. 

Post-launch, Blue Ghost will carry 10 science payloads to the Mare Crisium, a basin on the Moon’s near side. It will take Blue Ghost 45 days to reach the Moon and it is expected to operate on the Moon for about 14 days. 

“Blue Ghost aced environmental testing and proved the lander is performing 100% as expected, which is a testament to the incredible Firefly team,” said Jason Kim, CEO at Firefly Aerospace. “This team has gone above and beyond with innovative testing approaches to ensure Blue Ghost is flight ready. While we know there will be more challenges ahead, I’m confident this team has what it takes to softly touch down on the lunar surface and nail this mission.”