Nasa Science continues after the end of the first Moon Firefly mission

After landing on the moon with NASA’s demonstrations of science and technology, March 2, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 concluded its mission on March 16. The data analysis returned to the ground with our instruments continues, which uses future lunar missions.

As part of the NASA -in Initiative and the Initiative of the CLP (Commercial Mixed Useful Load) and Artemis campaign, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Lunar Lander delivered 10 NASA -in scientific and technological instruments at the Mare Crisium pool on the near side of the moon. During the mission, Blue Ghost has taken several pictures and videos including the shooting a Total Empire of the Sun and sunset from the surface of the moon. The mission lasted for about 14 days, or equivalent to one lunar day, and more hours in the moon’s night before it came to an end.

“Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 indicates the longest commercial mission on the month to date, collecting extraordinary scientific data that will benefit from humanity in the coming decades,” said Nicky Fox, associate of the Nasa -Washington scientific mission. “With NASA -in Clps Initiative, US companies are now at the helm of a lunar economy in the emergence that shines a path for research goals of the agency on the moon and beyond.”

All 10 NASA useful loads are successfully activated, collecting data and performing operations on the moon. Through the mission, Blue Ghost conveyed 119 gigabytes of data back to Earth, including 51 gigabit data on science and technology. In addition, all useful loads have been provided with additional opportunities for science and collecting more information for analysis, including during eclipse and sunset.

“Working on the moon is complex; it carries 10 useful burdens, more than ever flying to the shipping of CLPS before, making a mission much more impressive,” said Joel Kearns, Deputy Associates for Research, The NASA -E -E -E -E -Eat Directorate. “The teams are eagerly analyzing their information, and we are extremely excited about the expected scientific findings that will be obtained from this mission.”

Among other achievements, many of the NASA instruments have performed the original demonstration of science and technology, including:

• AND Lunar instrumentation for underground thermal exploration at speed speed Now the deepest robotic planetary underground probe, drilling up to 3 meters and providing the first type of demonstration of robotic thermal measurements at different depths.
• AND Lunar gnss receiver experiment The acquired and accompanied signals of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), from satellite networks such as GPS Galileo, for the first time withdrew to the surface of the moon and on the lunar surface. The record success of Lugre is a useful burden to indicate that GNSS signals can complement other navigation methods and use to support future artemis missions. It also acts as a springboard according to future navigation systems on Mars.
• AND Radiation tolerant computer He successfully operated in transit through the Earth’s belts Van Allen, as well as on a lunar surface on a lunar night, checking solutions to mitigate the effects of radiation on computers that could make future missions safer for equipment and more economical.
• AND Electrodynamic dust to dust He successfully picked up and removed the lunar soil, or regolitan, with surfaces using electrodynamic forces, showing promising dust to relieve dust on future lunar and interplanetary surface operations.
• AND Lunar magothellular sound He successfully distributed five sensors to study the interior of the month by measuring electrical and magnetic fields. The instrument allows scientists to characterize the interior of the month to a depth of up to 700 miles, or more than half a distance to the moon center.
• AND Lunar environment Heliospheric X -ray He captured a series of X -ray paintings to study the interaction of the magnetic field of the solar wind and the earth, providing insight into how space times and other cosmic forces surrounding the Earth affect the planet.
• AND Lunar Retroreflector of the Next Generation Successfully reflected and shaft laser light from two lunar laser observatory, returning measurements that allow scientists to accurately measure the moon’s shape and distance from the ground, expanding our understanding of the internal structure of the moon.
• AND Stereo camera for a lunar splash study The instrument took about 9,000 paintings during the lunar descent of the spacecraft and the touch on the moon, providing insight into the effects on the surface. The load helper also operated during the lunar sunset and in a lunar night.
• AND Lunar Planetvac It was deployed on the access arm of Lander and successfully collected, transferred and sorted lunar soil using nitrogen gas under pressure, showing a low-budget solution of low mass for future robotic collection of samples.
• AND Characterization of the adherence of regolitic The instrument tested that the lunar regolitan adheres to a number of materials exposed to the moon environment, which can help test, improve and protect the spacecraft, space space and habitat from abrasive lunar dust or regolitic dust.

The recorded data will benefit from humanity in many ways, providing insight into how space times and other cosmic forces can affect Earth. Establishing improved awareness of a lunar environment on the eve of future crew missions will help plan long -term surface operations under Artemide.

To date, five suppliers have been awarded 11 month’s deliveries under CLPS and sends more than 50 instruments at different locations on the moon, including a monthly southern pole and a far side.

Find out more about NASA’s CLPS initiative at:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-617-4977
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

Natalia Riosch / Nlufar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
natailila.s.riusech@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov

Antonia Jaramillo
Kennedy’s space center, Florida
321-501-8425
Antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov