Blue Ghost carries 10 NASA science and technology instruments aboard as part of the space agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services, or CLPS, initiative. CLPS is part of NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
After Blue Ghost lands on the moon, the instruments will operate for more than two weeks to collect “critical science data… that will pave the way for a lasting lunar presence and unlock exploration further into our solar system,” Blue Ghost chief engineer previously mentioned.
Some of the data to be collected will include information on the moon’s subsurface, such as lunar dust and regolith (the loose rocks and mineral fragments that cover the lunar surface), as well as developing navigation technology for future lunar missions.
“Robotic deliveries like the Blue Ghost mission perform science experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities on and around the Moon to prepare for astronaut missions to the lunar surface, and ultimately crewed missions to Mars,” NASA’s Artemis program said in a recent Instagram post.
