NASA’s ‘Blue Ghost’ Set for Lunar Landing Today, Sends Stunning Close-Up Video
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): US space agency NASA's ambitious 'Blue Ghost' lunar mission is set to land on the surface of the moon today, Sunday. This mission has been launched by American company Intuitive Machines to deliver NASA's scientific payload to the moon, which aims to study the conditions necessary for human settlements on the moon.
The mission, codenamed IM-2, was successfully launched on Wednesday evening from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. NASA has described this mission as an important step and historic towards settling humans on the moon under the Artemis program.
The landing of the 'Blue Ghost' lander is scheduled in Mare Crisium, a plain area on the far side of the moon. Scientists have found this place suitable for scientific study and a landing attempt will be made. After landing on the surface of the moon, this lander will work for 14 days and will send important information related to the moon's environment to NASA through various experiments.
10 NASA payloads have been sent on this mission. The lander will measure the heat flow from the interior of the moon. In addition, it will also explore favorable locations and methods for safe landing on the moon. Another important aspect of the mission is to study the Earth's magnetosphere through X-ray imaging. NASA will also study the reactions taking place on the surface of the lunar soil.
The IM-2 mission is designed to demonstrate lunar dynamics, resource prospecting and analysis of volatiles from subsurface materials, a key step toward discovering water sources beyond Earth. According to Intuitive Machines, this is a key component for establishing sustainable infrastructure on both the lunar surface and in space.
It is noteworthy that last year, Intuitive Machines made history by successfully landing its first lunar lander Odysseus on the surface of the moon. It was the first US spacecraft to land on the lunar surface in more than 50 years.
This mission is special in many ways, especially because a private company's lander has been sent to the Moon. This success will open the way for collaboration with private companies for future Mars missions or other lunar missions and make space missions more accessible. The success of 'Blue Ghost' can open new doors for commercial lunar programs.
