NASA orbiter clicks a photo of Blue Ghost on the moon

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has clicked a photo of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander sitting pretty on the surface of the Moon. The orbiter took the image from a distance of 175 kilometres, putting on display the amazing power of the orbiter’s surveillance prowess. Its Narrow Angle Cameras achieved the feat on March 2, 2025, the same day Blue Ghost landed.

The photo of Blue Ghost on the lunar surface was shared by NASA, although it is hard to spot the spacecraft that became only the second private lander to touchdown on the rocky terrain of our satellite. The photo shows a white speck casting a shadow on the rocky land below.

The lunar mountain Mons Latreille, a solitary lunar peak in the vast basin Mare Crisium ("Sea of Crises"), can also be seen in the lower-left corner of the image.

Also Read: 'GhostRiders' on Blue Ghost click sunrise on the moon, get ready to kick up some dust

The lander has already started working on its mission which has been named Ghost Riders in the Sky  As part of it, 10 NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) demonstration instruments have been sent aboard the spacecraft. It has started deploying payloads, collecting rocks and taking pictures. 

Sunrise on moon

Firefly recently shared a photo of the sunrise on the moon. The image, shared on X on Monday (Mar 3), showed a bright sunrise with several craters clearly visible.

"Rise and shine! Firefly's Blue Ghost lander captured its first sunrise on the moon, marking the beginning of the lunar day and the start of surface operations in its new home," the post reads.

Rise and shine! Firefly’s #BlueGhost lander captured its first sunrise on the Moon, marking the beginning of the lunar day and the start of surface operations in its new home. Our #GhostRiders have already begun operating many of the 10 @NASA payloads aboard the lander and will… pic.twitter.com/YI9nuFZfmk

— Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) March 3, 2025

The lander will spend two weeks studying the moon and its surroundings in preparation for future missions.

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NASA is aiming to land humans on the moon as part of its Artemis mission. Before that, they will send a crewer flight which will hover around the lunar body and gather data on the environment.

The Blue Ghost will also study the geology of the moon and its composition. It also aims to learn about space weather and how heat flows on the moon. It will then drill into the surface to see how lunar dust levitates on the surface at sunset.