The lunar economy is no longer just a distant dream, as various countries and private companies are actively participating in the race to develop resources on the moon. One such company, Firefly Aerospace Corporation Texas, recently launched the Blue Ghost 1 mission on January 15. This mission marks the beginning of a future supply chain between Earth and the Moon, with the goal of utilizing satellite resources for scientific infrastructure and space expeditions, potentially even to Mars.
Currently, the Blue Ghost spacecraft is en route to the Sea of Crises in the northern hemisphere of the moon for landing. The mission includes orbit joining, controlled descent, extreme condition testing, and scientific experiments. The module is equipped to drill and collect lunar regolithic, as well as explore the lunar environment. The Blue Ghost mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, aimed at expanding lunar exploration capabilities through contracts with private companies.
Expected to land on March 2, the Blue Ghost mission carries ten experiments onboard. Notable experiments include a computer for testing microcircuit radiation stability and a camera for observing dust particles above the lunar surface. The spacecraft also plans to capture images of a lunar eclipse, when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow. NASA has released images of the spacecraft’s release into lunar orbit in anticipation of its landing.
The development of lunar resources offers potential benefits such as the production of helium-3 for nuclear synthesis, quantum calculations, and medical visualization. Methods for extracting oxygen and hydrogen from lunar soil are also being developed for use as rocket fuel. The establishment of infrastructure on the moon, including roads, rail tracks, and lunar concrete, is envisioned for future missions. Successful missions like Blue Ghost pave the way for regular launches and the delivery of goods to the lunar surface, making the idea of a sustained human presence on the moon a closer reality.