''First-ever cosmic race': Which of the three private lunar spacecraft will land first on the Moon
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
For the first time in history, three private lunar landers are simultaneously heading towards the Moon. Intuitive Machines’ Athena, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost, and Tokyo-based ispace’s Resilience were launched on separate missions to explore the lunar surface.
Athena, developed by Intuitive Machines, was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 27 February. The spacecraft carries NASA payloads, a rover from Lunar Outpost, and a small hopping vehicle named Grace. It aims to land closer to the Moon’s south pole than any previous mission.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost is expected to be the first to land, with a scheduled touchdown in the Mare Crisium region on 2 March. The spacecraft has been orbiting the Moon for two weeks and carries 10 NASA scientific instruments.
Athena is set to land four days after Blue Ghost, making its descent near the Moon’s south pole on 6 March. This will be the closest any mission has come to the region where NASA plans to establish a long-term human presence under the Artemis programme.
Unlike its competitors, Resilience is taking a more circuitous path and is not expected to enter lunar orbit until late May or early June. The Japanese lander will carry out its touchdown attempt shortly after reaching its destination.
Athena and Blue Ghost are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, designed to support scientific research and pave the way for future human missions. Resilience, while not part of CLPS, will carry a small rover called Tenacious, which will collect lunar soil samples for NASA.
If successful, Blue Ghost will be the first of the three to land, followed by Athena. Resilience, with its extended timeline, will attempt its landing months later. So far, only one private lander—Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus—has successfully reached the lunar surface, setting a precedent for this new era of commercial Moon exploration.
{{ primary_category.name }}