Mission Details
Mission Summary
As part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload (CLPS) initiative, Firefly’s third mission to the Moon in 2028 will utilize Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander, Elytra Dark orbital vehicle, and a rover to investigate the unique composition of the Gruithuisen Domes – a part of the Moon that has never been explored. During mission operations, Elytra will first deploy Blue Ghost into lunar orbit and then remain on orbit to provide long-haul communications. Blue Ghost will then land in the Gruithuisen Domes, deploy the rover, and operate six NASA-sponsored payloads for more than 14 days on the lunar surface.
Our Payloads
The payloads flying on Blue Ghost Mission 3 will investigate the unique formation and composition of the Gruithuisen Domes with a focus on the Gamma Dome. These investigations include mapping the geologic features of the domes, searching for potential water and hydrogen molecules, demonstrating sample acquisition technologies, and characterizing planetary, solar, and galactic radio emissions on the lunar surface. The data captured will help inform future robotic and human exploration on the Moon in addition to helping us better understand the history of Earth and other planets in the solar system.
University of Central Florida, Arizona State University, BAE Systems
Planetary Science Institute, Malin Space Science Systems
Maxar Technologies
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville
NASA Glenn Research Center
Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE)
University of Central Florida, Arizona State University, BAE Systems
Lunar-VISE is a payload with multiple instruments that will be attached to both the lander and rover to determine the composition and physical properties of the Gruithuisen Domes. The instruments attached to the lander include two cameras for characterizing the landing site and rover traverse, whereas the instruments attached to the rover include an infrared and multi-spectral camera system and a spectrometer to measure gamma ray and neutron energies. These instruments will map local variations in geological compositions and thermophysical properties in and around the Gruithuisen Gamma Dome.
Heimdall
Planetary Science Institute, Malin Space Science Systems
Heimdall is a high-resolution camera system that includes a single digital video recorder and four cameras: a wide-angle descent imager, a narrow-angle regolith imager, and two wide-angle panoramic imagers. This camera system is intended to support several goals – it will record the interaction of plume and lunar regolith during descent, characterize the properties of the Moon’s soil, map the geologic features in the Gruithuisen Domes, and support development of autonomous navigation capabilities for future missions.
Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering, and Probing of Lunar Regolith (SAMPLR)
Maxar Technologies
SAMPLR is a five degree-of-freedom robotic arm that will demonstrate sample acquisition technologies on the lunar surface. This includes demonstrating the use of a regolith scoop design, derived from the Mars Exploration Rover, to acquire regolith samples and filter and isolate particles of different sizes to help determine properties of the regolith.
Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
ROLSES is a low-frequency radio telescope designed to detect and characterize planetary, solar, and galactic radio emissions on the lunar surface. By observing the Moon’s surface environment in radio frequencies, ROLSES will determine how natural and human-generated activity near the surface interacts with and could interfere with science conducted there. This includes activity on Earth that produces radio interference at the lunar surface in addition to natural radio emissions, such as those that come from Jupiter, the Sun, and the Milky Way galaxy.
Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface (NMLS)
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville
NMLS is an instrument that will measure neutrons generated by galactic cosmic-ray interactions with the lunar regolith, providing ground truth of mapped neutron data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Prospector missions. These measurements can provide valuable elemental composition information, which could include the detection of hydrogen and/or water molecules.
Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface (PILS)
NASA Glenn Research Center
PILS is a technology instrument that will measure the electrical performance of next generation solar cells and measure the charge build up and dust accumulation on a small solar array. This solar charging experiment will support the design of high voltage solar arrays on the surface that may be used to power in-situ resource utilization systems and other lunar surface assets. Ultimately, PILS will help establish baseline requirements and capabilities for future solar power generation systems for the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
Our Ride
Similar to Blue Ghost Mission 2, Firefly’s third lunar mission utilizes a two-stage spacecraft configuration with our Blue Ghost lunar lander stacked on our Elytra Dark orbital vehicle. This unique configuration enables payload deployment and operations in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface.
Full Spacecraft Stack
At the top of the stack, the Blue Ghost Mission 3 rover will be deployed on the lunar surface to explore the depths of the Gamma Dome with an infrared camera system and a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer.
Stacked on Elytra Dark, Blue Ghost will provide data, power, and thermal resources for six NASA payloads upon landing in the Gruithuisen Domes.
At the bottom of the stack, Elytra Dark will serve as a transfer vehicle for Blue Ghost and remain in lunar orbit to provide long-haul communications services across cislunar space.
Our Destination
Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will touch down in the Gruithuisen Domes, an area of ancient lava flows near Sinus Viscositatis on the Moon’s near side. Considered a geologic mystery, the Gruithuisen Domes appear to be composed of silica-rich volcanic minerals, which could indicate the presence of lunar water and hydrogen. Blue Ghost Mission 3 will be the first to land in the Gruithuisen Domes and explore the unique composition of the Gamma Dome.
Join Our Mission
Blue Ghost Mission 3 has payload capacity for additional customers, offering orbital transfer and long-haul communications in cislunar space on Elytra as well as lunar surface delivery and operations on Blue Ghost. Get in touch to learn more about joining our mission.
