SpaceX will launch two lunar lander modules on a single Falcon 9 rocket this January.
Get ready for the race to the Moon.
Two private companies are set to conduct flights to the Moon this month, marking the beginning of a competition between U.S.-based Firefly Aerospace and Japan's ispace, which will attempt a lunar landing for the second time. Both companies aim to launch their landers in mid-January using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The Japanese company, ispace, seeks to rescue its mission after a failed attempt in April 2023. The mission, named Mission 2, features the HAKUTO-R Resilience lander as its main component, which will be launched from Florida along with a small rover called Tenacious.
ispace expects Resilience to land near the center of Mare Frigoris, a vast basalt plain located in the northern hemisphere of the Moon. Additionally, the lander will be launched on the same Falcon 9 rocket that will carry Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander. The latter has been designed under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and will aim to land in the Mare Crisium region on the Moon's near side.
During the mission, ispace will collect regolith, the surface layer of lunar dust, which accumulates at the base of the lander during landing. The TENACIOUS rover is expected to take photographs of this collected material and perform a symbolic transfer of regolith ownership to NASA. Additionally, a cubesat from an Indian company will also be included in the lander's payload.
Meanwhile, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander is scheduled to have a travel time of 45 days to reach the Moon and will operate for approximately 14 Earth days, covering one lunar night. This lander will carry ten payloads for NASA and will conduct various demonstrations, including regolith sample collection and evaluation of satellite navigation systems in lunar conditions.
Firefly Aerospace has also planned a couple of additional lunar missions for the future, including the launch of Blue Ghost 2 in 2026. Both companies are aligned with NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish sustainable lunar bases and pave the way for future missions to Mars.
