Blue Ghost Lander Captures Historic Lunar Sunset Images

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander has successfully captured the first high-definition images of a lunar sunset, contributing valuable data to ongoing scientific inquiries into the phenomenon known as lunar horizon glow. The lander, which became the first private spacecraft to land upright on the Moon on March 2, operated for 14 days and gathered various data, including stunning sunset imagery and other scientific measurements. NASA officials noted that the images, which feature the Sun setting with Earth and Venus in view, will be analyzed to determine if the glow is caused by levitating lunar dust particles, a concept first proposed by Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan. In addition to the sunset images, Blue Ghost also recorded a solar eclipse during its mission. The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, aimed at fostering private sector involvement in lunar exploration. While all primary objectives were met, the lander faced challenges, including limitations on its drilling capabilities into the lunar surface.