Keep pulling the thread on Blue Ghost.
A GNSS receiver on the Blue Ghost lander will attempt to measure GPS signals at the Moon's distance, which is about double the distance of any previous attempt.
The estimated cost to transport a payload to the surface of the Moon is between one and two million dollars per kilogram.
Firefly Aerospace aims for a mission cost in the hundred-million-dollar range, in contrast to Apollo-era programs which cost a third of a trillion dollars.
The Blue Ghost mission had an approximate cost of one hundred million dollars.
The Blue Ghost lander uses two engines on every side that pulse to modulate thrust during its descent.
The Blue Ghost lander is designed to shut off its engines when a sensor in its landing feet is tripped upon contact with the lunar surface.
The Blue Ghost lander is carrying 10 different scientific payloads to the Moon.
The Blue Ghost lander is equipped with a lunar magnetotelluric sounder that deploys four probes to study the interior of the Moon.
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
NASA has shifted its strategy to outsource the design, construction, testing, and operation of certain missions to smaller, more agile private companies.
Firefly Aerospace's approach to risk management, which prioritizes speed and agility, is a key differentiator from NASA and larger aerospace companies.
Firefly Aerospace's engineering philosophy emphasizes rapid iteration by building and breaking physical hardware to learn faster, rather than focusing on prolonged analysis.