Company Firefly Aerospace successfully completed the transit launch phase of its mission, which aims to deliver NASA's scientific and technical equipment to the surface of the Moon. After performing the maneuver of launching into the lunar orbit, 8 February spacecraft Blue Ghost left Earth orbit and began a four-day transit to the Moon's orbit. Next, the device will conduct approx 16 days in the lunar orbit, before starting the descent operation.
Key achievements of the mission
Since launch, more than three weeks ago, Blue Ghost performed dozens of system tests and collected 13 gigabytes of data. All of them 10 scientific instruments of NASA, placed on board, are in proper technical condition and ready to work on the surface of the Moon.
Among the important components of the mission is the Radiation Resistant Computer (RadPC), developed by Montana State University. It functioned successfully during the passage of the Van Allen radiation belts, providing data on the effects of radiation on computer systems. These studies will help NASA improve equipment protection for future Artemis missions.
in addition, the device was tested as part of the systems check Lunar PlanetVac (LPV) — technological demonstrator, designed to collect lunar soil without the use of gravity mechanisms. Visual inspection of samples, collected in the LPV container, confirmed the readiness of the device to perform tasks on the surface of the Moon.
Study of the magnetic fields of the Moon
During testing of the Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder instrument (LMS), developed by the South-Western Research Institute, a change in the magnetic field was recorded. This testifies to the device's ability to analyze the Moon's magnetic and electric fields. LMS data will make it possible to study the internal structure and its temperature, which is of great importance for understanding the geology of the Earth's natural satellite.