Firefly Aerospace’s historic Blue Ghost mission to the moon has officially ended after the lander made its last communication with the mission team on Earth.
Marking the mission’s closure, Firefly shared a message from the Blue Ghost lander, which will now sit silently on the lunar surface for the rest of time.
“Goodnight friends,” the message began. “After exchanging our final bits of data, I will hold vigil on this spot in Mare Crisium to watch humanity’s continued journey to the stars.
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“Here, I will outlast your mightiest rivers, your tallest mountains, and perhaps even your species as we know it. But it is remarkable that a species might be outlasted by its own ingenuity.
“Here lies Blue Ghost, a testament to the team who, with the loving support of their families and friends, built and operated this machine and its payloads, to push the capabilities and knowledge of humanity one small step further. Per aspera ad astra! Love, Blue Ghost”
#BlueGhost signing off with one final message from the Moon. Thank you for the unforgettable journey. 💙 #BGM1 pic.twitter.com/IsMzy6VyYz
— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 16, 2025
Firefly made history on March 2 when Blue Ghost became the first commercial lander to fully succeed in a soft moon landing at the first attempt. The company recently shared dramatic footage of the moment the lander achieved the all-important touchdown.
While on the lunar surface, Blue Ghost has been using its science tools to study lunar regolith and try out new technologies that could prove useful for future lunar missions. It’s also been conducting a number of scientific experiments, including the observation of Earth’s magnetic field from the moon.
Associate NASA adminstrator Nicky Fox said recently that the moon missions by Firefly and other commercial companies are helping to “prepare the way for future NASA exploration and long-term human presence to inspire the world for generations to come.”
NASA launched a new era of space exploration in 2022 with the Artemis I mission that flew an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the moon ahead of the crewed Artemis II mission that will carry a crew on the same path next year. The much-anticipated Artemis III mission, meanwhile, will put the first astronauts on the moon since the final Apollo landing in 1972. Artemis III is currently scheduled for 2027.