Stunning NASA Orbiter Photo Reveals the Enigmatic Blue Ghost Lander on the Moon

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter recently took a fascinating photo of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander sitting on the Moon. This demonstrates the impressive capabilities of the orbiter to observe objects from afar.

Blue Ghost made its lunar landing early on a Sunday morning after a 45-day journey. It touched down in Mare Crisium, also known as the “Sea of Crises,” a large crater formed by an ancient asteroid. The lander itself captured some incredible footage of the lunar surface during its landing.

The orbiter snapped the image from about 109 miles (175 kilometers) away on March 2, 2025, using its Narrow Angle Cameras. While the lander is quite small in the photo, if you look closely, you can see it as a tiny white dot in the center of the highlighted box.

The image might not be high-resolution, making it tough to spot the lander, but it’s exciting nonetheless. The lower left corner of the photo shows the base of Mons Latreille, a mountain on the Moon.

Blue Ghost’s mission, called “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” includes 10 NASA instruments designed for Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) demonstration. You can follow the progress of its mission on the Firefly website.

Since landing, Blue Ghost has started deploying its experiments, collecting samples of lunar soil (regolith), and capturing more photos. Its mission will last for two weeks, or one lunar day, as it aims to gather valuable data to enhance our understanding of the Moon. This information is essential for future human exploration and potential habitation.