Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mooncraft achieved third most precise robotic planetary landing in the Solar System

And it’s bringing science and technology bounties.

Shadow of the Firefly Blue Ghost Moon lander performing final descent and having touched down on the lunar surface, the latter captured before the kicked up lunar dust settled. Images: Blue Ghost landing video

The lunar touchdown of the Blue Ghost spacecraft on March 2, which the US-based Firefly approached and achieved with rigor, not only brought the first soft robotic Moon landing for the US in this century but also elevated the country to the era of precision landings crucial for future space exploration and science. Blue Ghost, part of and funded by NASA’s CLPS program, landed about 118 meters away from its target landing site in Mare Crisium — a remarkably close distance against the vast expanse of our Moon.

Blue Ghost seen from orbit by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Image: NASA / LRO / ASU / GSFC | Minor annotations: Jatan Mehta

On March 3, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) imaged the lander from orbit, finding its resting location on the Moon to be 18.5623°N, 61.8103°E. Recall from Blue Ghost’s landing site selection process that its targeted landing spot was 18.560°N, 61.807°E, with a circular “landing ellipse” diameter of just 100 meters. Shortly after landing, Firefly said that Blue Ghost “touched down within its 100-meter landing target.” Assuming the actual targeted coordinates didn’t change by more…