AUSTIN, Texas — A lunar lander that was designed in Central Texas has completed the first step of its mission to the moon.
Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace says that “Blue Ghost” has successfully completed its first burn. This means that they used the engines and thrusters to change the spacecraft’s speed and direction, moving its orbit closer to the Earth for the next step of its mission.
“Blue Ghost” was launched to the moon on a SpaceX rocket earlier this month. The lander is part of a NASA initiative with the ultimate goal of involving larger crafts and human missions.
“Blue Ghost” will take 45 days to reach the moon before it starts performing experiments that include drilling, dust mitigation and X-ray imaging of Earth’s magnetic field. It also hopes to capture data during lunar sunset for future moon missions.
Firefly has also been working on a long-term project to build a rocket that will head to the moon. The company has been doing engine testing about 30 miles north of Leander with the hopes of launching by 2026.
Firefly says its mission operation center in Texas is staffed around the clock to ensure the success of the mission.