First Ever HD Footage From the Moon Shows Incredible Lunar Landing of Blue Ghost Spacecraft (WATCH)
In 1969 NASA live-streamed a moon landing on television by mounting a robust TV camera on the Apollo 11 and pointed it toward the steps—but, oh, how technology has changed in 55 years.
Firefly Aerospace engineers were cheering last Sunday as their Blue Ghost lunar spacecraft touched down and landed upright–the first time that a private company has done that.
And three days later the Texas-based company released amazing HD video of their accomplishment.
Blue Ghost had cameras attached to every side of its 6ft-tall by 11ft-wide frame to capture every angle of the descent.
The team at mission control identified surface hazards and selected a safe landing site. After that, Blue Ghost landed directly over the target in Mare Crisium.
“We have Moon dust on our boots!” wrote Firefly in an announcement.
“Our Ghost Riders have since downlinked our landing footage for the world to see—a historic moment on March 2 we’ll never forget.”
Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, named Ghost Riders in the Sky, was launched out of Earth’s atmosphere and into orbit by a SpaceX rocket on 15 January.
It made its own way over to the Moon within 45 days using solar powered batteries, before softly touching down on the craggy surface, and becoming the first commercial spacecraft in history to achieve a fully-successful lunar landing.
Proving it had the right stuff, the lander delivered 10 science and technology instruments to the surface, including a drill that will attempt to dig down nine feet (3m) to measure the temperature.
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• Social Media is Swooning Over Images of Hearts on Mars
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The Blue Ghost mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative but, best of all, it delivered the first HD footage from the moon.
Watch a video from CBS News—and ALSO the Final Descent from Firefly…
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