Firefly Aerospace, a company that builds space equipment, is getting ready to send its first Lunar lander, called Blue Ghost, to the Moon! Blue Ghost is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, January 15th, at about 1:00 AM, from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

After the launch, The Blue Ghost LAnder will travel towards the moon for for about 45 days before landing in an area called Mare Crisium. It will stay there for 14 Earth days, or one full lunar day, to conduct experiments that include:

• Digging into the Moon’s surface and collecting samples.

• Testing tools that could help future astronauts.

• Studying how the Moon’s dust moves.

• Using equipment to learn more about space weather and how it affects Earth.

At the end of the mission, Blue Ghost will Take pictures of a lunar sunset, sharing what happens when the Moon’s surface cools down as the Sun sets.

This Lunar mission, called Ghost Riders in the Sky, is the first of three missions Firefly will complete for NASA as part of the Artemis program.

The goal is to help scientists and astronauts learn more about the Moon and prepare for future missions, including someday sending humans to live and work there!