SpaceX Blue Ghost Mission 1 Launch to the Moon Set Jan. 15 from Kennedy Space Center
By Space Coast Daily // January 13, 2025
prelaunch events start January 13
BREVARD COUNTY • FLORIDA — Carrying NASA science and technology to the Moon as part of the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 is targeting launch Wednesday, Jan. 15.
The mission will lift off on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Live launch coverage will air on NASA+ with prelaunch events starting Monday, Jan. 13. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. Follow all events HERE.
After the launch, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander will spend approximately 45 days in transit to the Moon before landing on the lunar surface in early March.
The lander will carry 10 NASA science investigations to further our understanding of the Moon’s environment and help prepare for future human missions to the lunar surface, as part of the agency’s Moon to Mars exploration approach.
Science investigations on this flight aim to test and demonstrate lunar subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection capabilities, global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods.
The data captured could benefit humans on Earth by providing insights into how space weather and other cosmic forces impact Earth.
Full coverage of this mission is Monday, Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m. featuring a lunar science media teleconference with Chris Culbert – CLPS program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and Maria Banks – CLPS project scientist at NASA Johnson. Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website.
Coverage continues Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. with lunar delivery readiness media teleconference with Nicola Fox – associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, Jason Kim – CEO at Firefly Aerospace, Julianna Scheiman – director of NASA science missions at SpaceX, and Mark Burger – launch weather officer at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron. Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website.
Launch coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 12:30 a.m., with the launch scheduled for 1:11 a.m.
NASA Launch Coverage
Audio only of the launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, or -7135. On launch day, the full mission broadcast can be heard on -1220 and -1240, while the countdown net can only be heard on -7135, beginning approximately one hour before the mission broadcast begins.
