Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image captured by Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander shortly after second lunar orbit maneuver on February 18. Blue Ghost’s solar panel, X-band antenna (left), and LEXI payload (right) on the top deck is also shown.
Image credit: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly Aerospace has completed a third and final lunar orbit maneuver of its Blue Ghost Moon lander.

Taking place early Monday morning, the Moon-circling lander carried out a 16-second burn of reaction control system thrusters, thereby inserting itself into a near-circular low orbit.

Up next…going down

This critical February 24 maneuver sets up the spacecraft to perform a descent to the lunar surface as planned on March 2.

“Up next, we’ll perform a 19-second Descent Orbit Insertion at our 100-kilometer perilune [point of orbit nearest the lunar surface] to begin our descent to Blue Ghost’s final destination, Mare Crisium, on March 2,” Firefly Aerospace states.

Go to newly issued video at: 

https://youtu.be/kB66ECu4kL8