The return to the Moon is a key focus of the renewed space race. While NASA continues preparing for the Artemis program, not all its lunar missions fall under that umbrella. One such mission involves the Blue Ghost lander, developed by Firefly Aerospace.
Eyes on the Moon. NASA plans to monitor the Blue Ghost mission’s arrival on the lunar surface using a cutting-edge imaging tool. The Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS 1.1) instrument will capture detailed 3-D images of the spacecraft’s landing site.
This is the second iteration of the SCALPSS instrument sent to the Moon in less than a year. Its predecessor, SCALPSS 1.0, was aboard the ill-fated Odysseus lander, which experienced a horizontal landing.
The Blue Ghost lander. The cameras will be mounted on the Blue Ghost lander, a versatile lunar probe designed to deliver payloads to the Moon. At 6.56 feet high and 11.5 feet wide, the solar-powered vehicle can generate up to 300 watts of power.
Set to launch in January 2025, the Blue Ghost mission will carry SCALPSS 1.1, aiming to study the impact of lunar landings on the surrounding environment.
Understanding lunar impact. SCALPSS 1.1 features two cameras designed to take overlapping images that create detailed 3-D visuals of the Moon’s surface.
This data will help researchers analyze the effects of spacecraft landings, including the behavior of lunar soil, regolith, and debris ejected by landing plumes.
“If we’re placing things—landers, habitats, etc.—near each other, we could be sand blasting what’s next to us, so that’s going to drive requirements on protecting those other assets on the surface, which could add mass, and that mass ripples through the architecture,” SCALPSS principal investigator Michelle Munk said.
From 1.0 to 1.1. NASA has refined the SCALPSS instrument since its initial deployment. SCALPSS 1.1 includes six cameras—two more than the previous version—and will operate at a higher altitude before landing.
While SCALPSS 1.0’s rough landing prevented it from achieving its primary goal, it still managed to capture data from the lunar surface. This partial success has informed the design and deployment strategy for its successor.
A complement to Artemis. The SCALPSS and Blue Ghost missions are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. CLPS works alongside Artemis to reduce the burden on its flagship program, leveraging private companies to advance lunar exploration.
These missions aim to complement Artemis by supporting NASA’s broader objective of establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon.
Image | NASA
View 0 comments