The American company Firefly Aerospace signed an agreement with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Research Center (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates on the delivery of the Rashid lunar rover 2 to the far side of the Moon as part of the second mission of the Blue Ghost lander, scheduled for 2026 year. As part of this international mission, scientific apparatus will also be delivered from Australia, European Space Agency and NASA as part of the initiative.
Rover Rashid 2 will be used to study the mobility of vehicles on the surface of the Moon, in particular, testing various materials for resistance to the abrasive effects of lunar dust. The collected data will be useful in the development of future lunar technologies, such as spacesuits, residential modules and other infrastructure. With the help of cameras and scientific instruments, the device will also study the plasma, geology and temperature conditions of the lunar surface, which is important for exploring the possibilities of using resources on site.
During the Blue Ghost mission 2 Elytra spacecraft, which acts as a platform, will first launch the Blue Ghost lander and ESA's Lunar Pathfinder satellite into lunar orbit. After that, the module will land on the far side of the Moon, delivering rover Rashid 2, the Australian scientific instrument SPIDER, the NASA LuSEE-Night radio telescope and the user station. Elytra will remain in orbit to maintain communications and perform radio frequency calibration for the LuSEE-Night telescope.
This mission aims to develop an international lunar infrastructure: resource search, improvement of means of mobility, improving communications and expanding knowledge about the formation of the universe.
Preparations for the launch have already begun, with equipment for the Blue Ghost Mission being assembled and tested 2. The previous Firefly mission ended in March 2025 successful commercial landings on the moon and record-breaking 14 days of work on its surface.