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| Firefly's Blue Ghost becomes second private spacecraft with moon landing | Firefly's Blue Ghost becomes second private spacecraft with moon landing |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Watch: Celebrations as Luna lander touches down on Moon | |
| A private spacecraft has landed on the Moon, becoming only the second commercial vehicle to reach the lunar surface. | A private spacecraft has landed on the Moon, becoming only the second commercial vehicle to reach the lunar surface. |
| Blue Ghost left Earth on January 15, after being launched by US firm Firefly Aerospace with the intention of exploring the Sea of Crises, a huge crater visible from Earth. | Blue Ghost left Earth on January 15, after being launched by US firm Firefly Aerospace with the intention of exploring the Sea of Crises, a huge crater visible from Earth. |
| The project is the latest collaboration by US space agency Nasa and private companies. | The project is the latest collaboration by US space agency Nasa and private companies. |
| Intuitive Machines, another firm, is hoping to land its Athena spacecraft near the Moon's south pole in the next few days. | Intuitive Machines, another firm, is hoping to land its Athena spacecraft near the Moon's south pole in the next few days. |
| Intuitive was the first private company to achieve a lunar landing. Its spacecraft Odysseus reached the Moon on 22 February last year. | Intuitive was the first private company to achieve a lunar landing. Its spacecraft Odysseus reached the Moon on 22 February last year. |
| However, the mission was short-lived as the spacecraft landed on the slope of a crater, broke some landing gear and toppled over. | However, the mission was short-lived as the spacecraft landed on the slope of a crater, broke some landing gear and toppled over. |
| Blue Ghost touched down smoothly, having been orbiting the Moon for the last two weeks. | Blue Ghost touched down smoothly, having been orbiting the Moon for the last two weeks. |
| Staff at Firefly's headquarters in Texas broke out into cheering and applause when they were told their landing was successful. | Staff at Firefly's headquarters in Texas broke out into cheering and applause when they were told their landing was successful. |
| Blue Ghost orbiting the Moon in the week before it landed on the lunar surface | |
| Dr Simeon Barber, a planetary science researcher from the Open University, said Blue Ghost was essentially the first successful private venture to the Moon, as the vehicle was intact and responsive. | Dr Simeon Barber, a planetary science researcher from the Open University, said Blue Ghost was essentially the first successful private venture to the Moon, as the vehicle was intact and responsive. |
| He told BBC Breakfast: "[They've] demonstrated a technology for landing on the surface of the Moon, the kind that had been forgotten after the Apollo era when we had astronauts on the [lunar] surface." | He told BBC Breakfast: "[They've] demonstrated a technology for landing on the surface of the Moon, the kind that had been forgotten after the Apollo era when we had astronauts on the [lunar] surface." |
| The importance of the Moon to many private firms, said Dr Barber, was to use it as a launch pad for exploring the rest of space. | The importance of the Moon to many private firms, said Dr Barber, was to use it as a launch pad for exploring the rest of space. |
| "By going to the Moon, we can learn how to run robotic instruments in space [and] in the really harsh environment of the Moon, which is at times hot and at times cold. It's very dusty, there's lots of radiation." | "By going to the Moon, we can learn how to run robotic instruments in space [and] in the really harsh environment of the Moon, which is at times hot and at times cold. It's very dusty, there's lots of radiation." |
| Blue Ghost is the latest collaboration between Nasa and private firms who want to explore space | |
| Blue Ghost's mission is to explore the Sea of Crises – a huge crater visible from Earth | Blue Ghost's mission is to explore the Sea of Crises – a huge crater visible from Earth |
| He said at some point it was likely humans would return to the lunar surface and explained it had been so long because of a lack of funding. | He said at some point it was likely humans would return to the lunar surface and explained it had been so long because of a lack of funding. |
| The last time humans set foot on the Moon was 19 December 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission. | The last time humans set foot on the Moon was 19 December 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission. |
| "The Apollo missions were hugely successful," explained Dr Barber. "But they were 'touch and go' missions." | "The Apollo missions were hugely successful," explained Dr Barber. "But they were 'touch and go' missions." |
| Back then, astronauts would be there for three days before having to leave again, as costs were running into the billions of dollars. "That's not sustainable," he said. | Back then, astronauts would be there for three days before having to leave again, as costs were running into the billions of dollars. "That's not sustainable," he said. |
| Dr Barber said the belief now was that bringing private companies into the fold would help reduce costs as a result of commercial competition. | Dr Barber said the belief now was that bringing private companies into the fold would help reduce costs as a result of commercial competition. |
| It could lead to cheaper landers and innovations that might extract resources from the moon, such as water for the astronauts to drink. | It could lead to cheaper landers and innovations that might extract resources from the moon, such as water for the astronauts to drink. |
| The first private company to attempt to reach the moon was another US firm, Astrobotic Technology. | The first private company to attempt to reach the moon was another US firm, Astrobotic Technology. |
| They tried reaching the moon in January 2024, but their lander never made it to the moon, because of a suspected fuel leak, and crashed back to Earth. | They tried reaching the moon in January 2024, but their lander never made it to the moon, because of a suspected fuel leak, and crashed back to Earth. |
| The fiery descent meant the spacecraft broke apart in its final moments before plunging into the southern Pacific Ocean. | The fiery descent meant the spacecraft broke apart in its final moments before plunging into the southern Pacific Ocean. |